Determining the Body Composition of Patients with Acromegaly as a Cardiovascular Risk

Objective: This report aimed to examine changes in constituents of body composition that correlate to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with acromegaly using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 62 patients who were followed up after their acromegaly diagnosis and 40 healthy volunteers. All patients’ body compositions were evaluated using a body composition analyzer (TANITA MC-780-Black) with the BIA method. The laboratory and anthropometric measurements and body composition parameters were compared between the patients with acromegaly and the controls. Moreover, these parameters were examined according to the disease activity.
Results: This study showed that patients with acromegaly have higher plasma glucose levels than the control group (p=0.001). The homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index of patients with acromegaly was significantly higher than that of the controls (p=0.02). The compartments of intracellular water (ICW) and extracellular water (ECW) in the patients with acromegaly were larger than that in the controls (respectively; p=0.02 and p=0.001). The lean mass of the patients with acromegaly in the trunk and extremities was significantly higher than the controls (respectively; p=0.002 and p=0.001). The compartment of muscle was significantly larger than that in the controls (p=0.001). The basal metabolism in patients with acromegaly was significantly higher than that in the controls (p=0.002).
Conclusion: Determining the body composition using the BIA method can provide important information about the cardiovascular risks in patients with acromegaly. With the BIA method, cardiovascular risk can be estimated and reduced with effective strategies.