Hypertension-related factors in patients with active and inactive acromegaly Fatores implicados com a hipertensão em pacientes com acromegalia ativa e inativa

Introduction: There are several complications of the cardiovascular system caused by acrome- galy, especially hypertension. Objectives: To evaluate hypertension characteristics in patients with cured/controlled acromegaly and with the active disease. Patients and methods: Cross-sectional study of the follow-up of forty-four patients with acromegaly submitted to clinical evaluation, labo- ratory tests and cardiac ultrasound. Patients with cured and controlled disease were evaluated as one group, and individuals with active disease as second one. Results: Forty-seven percent of the patients had active acromegaly, and these patients were younger and had lower blood pressure levels than subjects with controlled/cured disease. Hypertension was detected in 50% of patients. Subjects with active disease showed a positive correlation between IGF-1 and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels (r = 0.48, p = 0.03; and r = 0.42, p = 0.07, respectively), and a positive corre- lation between IGF-1 and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) rates. In patients with active disease, IGF-1 was a predictor of systolic blood pressure, although it was not independent of UAE rate. For individuals with cured/controlled disease, waist circumference and triglycerides were the predic- tors associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that blood pressure levels in patients with active acromegaly are very similar, and depend on excess GH. However, once the disease becomes controlled and IGF-1 levels decrease, their blood pressure levels will depend on the other cardiovascular risk factors. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2011;55(7):468-74