Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To evaluate the effects of GH on cardiac structure and function of patients with panhypopituitarism.

Material and methods: We performed echocardiographic studies of patients with panhypopituitarism treated and not treated with GH at baseline and after 12 years of follow up. We collected clinical and echocardiographic data (systolic and diastolic ventricular diameter (LVEDD and DTSVI), interventricular septum thickness (IVS), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PPV), left ventricular mass and diastolic and systolic volume of left ventricle (LVEDV and LVESV), ejection fraction (EF) and size of the waves E, A, E /A ratio, deceleration time (DT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT).

Results: Data were obtained from 30 patients, mean age 48.9±13.7 years, 63.3% men. Etiology of GH deficit: 40% nonfunctioning adenomas, 20% macroprolactinoma, 20% craniopharyngioma, empty sella 13.3 and 6.6% other causes. The years of evolution at the time of first echocardiogram was 8.5 years in treated patients and 4.5 years in untreated patients. There were no differences in other cardiovascular risk factor. There were no differences in the mass or the dimensions of the left ventricle, aorta and left atrium in both groups basal and after reevaluation. The ejection fraction was 63% basal vs 70% in reevaluation in the treated group (P<0.05) and 57 vs 66% respectively in untreated group (P<0.05). There were differences in treated patients in the E wave (44.11 cm/s in basal ECO vs 73.11 cm/s in reevaluation, P <0.05) and E/A ratio (0.73 in vs 1.06 respectively, P<0.05), while there were no differences in untreated patients after reevaluation.

Conclusions: In patients treated with GH there was a significant improvement in diastolic function parameters (E wave and E/A).

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.