Bone mineral density of the axial skeleton in acromegaly
Abstract
Acromegaly is characterized by growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) excess, both of which stimulate osteoblast proliferation. At diagnosis, GH excess has usually been present for years. Furthermore, impaired gonadotropin secretion with hypogonadism is frequent. To date, studies of changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in acromegaly have been limited and the available data inconsistent. To investigate the effects of GH excess on proximal femur and lumbar spine BMD, a case series of 25 patients with acromegaly (8 eugonadal, 17 hypogonadal) documented by high plasma GH and IGF-I concentrations was studied. BMD was measured using dual-photon absorptiometry, hormonal and biochemical measurements, which included GH, IGF-I, serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D and urinary calcium and hydroxyproline excretion. Seven patients were re-studied after IGF-I was suppressed for six months by the somatostatin analog 201-995 (five patients) or pituitary adenomectomy (two patients). BMD was normal in 22 patients and was decreased at one site each in one eugonadal and two hypogonadal patients. BMD was similar between the eugonadal and hypogonadal groups at all sites. Urinary hydroxyproline excretion was equally increased in both groups. There was no correlation between any of the hormonal or biochemical parameters and the age, sex, race and body mass index matched Z-scores of BMD at any site. Following normalization of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health. Reported size: 25 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Development of a crushable foam model for human trabecular bone
- Data-driven motion compensation in HR-pQCT.
- Modeling of structure, quality, and function in the orthodontic patient
- Exploring the mechanism of Heidihuang Pill in the treatment of osteoporosis based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation
- Effect of fabric on the accuracy of computed tomography-based finite element analyses of the vertebra
- Use of interventions involving virtual reality tasks during the climacteric: a systematic review
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.