Prevalence and Impact ACROMEGALY IS A RARE DISEASE

Often referred to as somatotroph adenoma or growth hormone excess, acromegaly is a chronic metabolic disorder caused by the presence of too much growth hormone.⁴

About 25,000 patients in the U.S.⁵

3,000 new cases per year⁵

Affects men and women equally⁶

Becomes more common with increasing age⁶

Symptoms of acromegaly

The most common symptom of acromegaly is abnormal growth of the hands and feet.⁷

With swelling of the hands and feet being an early symptom of the condition, people with acromegaly might notice that their rings or shoes have become too tight. Over time, as the bones continue to grow, facial features begin to change, with the brow and lower jaw becoming more prominent, the bone of the nose becoming larger, and the teeth developing spaces between them. Acromegaly can also lead to arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and enlargement of the internal organs, including the heart.⁷

Additional symptoms may include⁷:

Individualizing Treatment for the Patient with Acromegaly

Presented by Michael H. Shanik, MD, FACP, FACE

Diagnosing and treating acromegaly

It varies by person and level of severity.

In addition to a full physical exam and a consult around symptoms, a medical evaluation may include the following steps to better diagnosis acromegaly:

• An IGF-1 measurement
• Growth hormone suppression test
• Imaging

Regarding treatment, the goal is to restore the pituitary gland to normal function, producing normal levels of growth hormone. Surgery to remove the pituitary tumor is the treatment recommended for most patients with acromegaly; but while surgery is successful in many patients, some will see their levels of GH and IGF-1 remain too high even after surgery.

Non-surgical treatments may include radiation therapy, and injection of growth hormone blocking medications. But left untreated, acromegaly can lead to worsening diabetes mellitus and hypertension, among other risks.