Role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in patients with acromegaly.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is associated with increased cardiovascular deaths in patients with acromegaly.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of blood pressure (BP) by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and office BP measurements to represent the real BP status in acromegalic patients and its relationship with acromegalic activity and echocardiogram parameters.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cohort of 37 patients with acromegaly in a tertiary endocrine outpatient service.

RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of the patients were considered hypertensive by ABPM versus 32% by office BP measurements (P = 0.006). BP obtained from the ABPM was associated with growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor type 1 levels and echocardiogram parameters of acromegalic myocardiopathy. Nondipper behavior presented a significant association with the hormonal profile.

CONCLUSION: BP levels assessed by ABPM were associated with acromegalic activity and echocardiogram parameters. ABPM can correctly identify BP levels and their repercussion on acromegalic patients.