Complications of acromegaly

As well as symptoms such as changes in your facial features and difficulty sleeping, you may experience more common conditions, including heart disease or diabetes.1 Although these diseases can be found in other patients, in people with acromegaly they are known as ‘co-morbidities or complications’ as they can be caused by high levels of growth hormone.1

Other conditions associated with acromegaly:

Diabetes2
Arrythmia (abnormal heartbeat)2
Osteoporosis2
Hypertension (high blood pressure)1
Arthropathy/arthralgia1
Colon polyps2
Hypopituitarism (pituitary gland is not producing enough of its hormones)1

If you have been diagnosed with any of the conditions listed above, but think you may be suffering from acromegaly, you should speak to your doctor. Treating the acromegaly to reduce growth hormone levels could help relieve symptoms of the co-morbidity.2

REFERENCES:

Burton T, et al. Real-world comorbidities and treatment patterns of patients with acromegaly in two large US health plan databases. Pituitary. 2013 Sep;16(3):354-62.
Endocrine Web. Acromegaly complications. Available at:
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/acromegaly/acromegaly-complications.+ Last accessed September 2020.