Current and Emerging Aspects of Diabetes Mellitus in Acromegaly

Publication date: Available online 24 May 2016 Source:Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism Author(s): Stefano Frara, Filippo Maffezzoni, Gherardo Mazziotti, Andrea Giustina Diabetes mellitus is a frequent complication of acromegaly, a disease characterized by chronic hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) by a pituitary adenoma. Diabetes occurs commonly but not only as a consequence of an insulin-resistant state induced by GH excess. The development of diabetes in patients with acromegaly is clinically relevant, since such a complication is thought to increase the already elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risk of the disease. Emerging data suggest that a specific cardiomyopathy can be identified in acromegaly patients with diabetes. Moreover, the presence of diabetes may also influence therapeutic decision making in acromegaly, since traditional and newly developed drugs used in this clinical setting may impact glucose metabolism regardless of control of GH hypersecretion.
Source: Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism - Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research