Cor Vasa 2026, 68(3):302-307

(Echocardiographic characteristics of morphological and functional changes of the left heart in acromegaly)

Ivana Ságováa, b, Milan Dragulab, Tomáš Bolekb, Martin Jozef Péčb, Jakub Juricab, Daniela Kantárováb, Marián Mokáňb, Matej Samošb
a Endokrinologické oddelenie, Národný endokrinologický a diabetologický ústav, Ľubochňa, Slovensko
b 1. Interná klinika UN a JLFUK, Martin, Slovensko

Objective: This study aimed to assess structural and functional parameters of the left heart in patients with active acromegaly using 2D echocardiography and to evaluate their relationship with disease activity and duration.

Methods: A prospective study was performed in 80 patients with active acromegaly (aAP) (48 women, 32 men) and 80 healthy controls (53 women, 27 men) matched for age, sex, and BMI.

Results: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was present in 70% of patients with active acromegaly. Left ventricular mass (LVM) was significantly higher in aAP compared to healthy controls (LV mass index [LVMI]: 143,5 ± 50,5 g/m2 vs. 83 ± 16 g/m2, p <0.001). A positive correlation was observed between LVM and acromegaly activity. LVM correlated positively with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels (R = 0,642, p <0,001) and growth hormone (GH) levels (R = 0,337, p = 0,017). No significant association was found between dis- ease duration and LVM. Although the difference in left ventricular size between aAP and controls did not reach statistical significance, a trend toward larger LV dimensions was observed in aAP. Patients with aAP also exhibited left atrial enlargement and predominantly grade 1 diastolic dysfunction (93,8%) with a low prevalence of systolic dysfunction.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a higher prevalence of structural and functional left heart changes in patients with acromegaly, which correlate with disease activity but not duration. These findings highlight the importance of early diagnosis and effective treatment of acromegaly to prevent acromegaly-induced cardiac alterations.

Keywords: Acromegaly, Echocardiography, Growth hormone, Insulin-like growth factor 1,

Received: October 15, 2025; Revised: October 15, 2025; Accepted: October 23, 2025; Prepublished online: June 2, 2012; Published: July 1, 2026  Show citation

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Ságová I, Dragula M, Bolek T, Péč MJ, Jurica J, Kantárová
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