Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Recent studies indicate that patients diagnosed with adrenal incidentaloma may present with cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease in patients with adrenal incidentaloma and healthy control group.

Methods: This study included 50 patients with non-functional adrenal adenoma and 30 healthy controls. BMI and waist circumference of the patients were measured. The lipid parameters, glucose, insulin, C-peptide, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fibrinogen, homocysteine, hsCRP levels and carotid intima media thickness were measured. HOMA levels of the patients were calculated.

Results: Patients with non-functional adrenal adenomas were compared with obese and non-obese control groups. Carotid intima media thickness and erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels of the patients with adrenal incidentaloma were significantly higher than the healthy controls. There was not statistically significant difference between lipid parameters, glucose, insulin, C-peptide, fibrinogen, homocysteine, hsCRP levels of the patients and control group.

Conclusion: In patients with nonfunctional adrenal adenomas the carotid intima media thickness, which is a cardiovascular risk indicator, was found to be thicker than the normal population. At the same time, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, another indicator of cardiovascular risk, was also higher in the adrenal incidentaloma group. These findings suggest that patients with adrenal adenomas have a higher risk for subclinical cardiovascular disease and close follow-up may be necessary.