Epidemiology of acromegaly
Acromegaly is a rare condition, occurring in 40 to 60 per million people. It has a low incidence of 3 to 4 new cases/year/million inhabitants, with as many as 1,500 new cases occurring each year.5
In the United States, between 15,000 and 27,000 patients have acromegaly. Acromegaly occurs with the same frequency in men and in women.
A diagnosis of acromegaly is generally made when the patient is between 40 and 50 years old. The diagnosis is also often made late; on average, 9 years after the onset of the first symptoms.6
As with many chronic conditions, early diagnosis and treatment are essential to improved outcomes. In patients with acromegaly, life expectancy may be reduced by 10 years, and mortality is two- to four-fold that of the general population.6,7
Pathophysiology of acromegaly
Acromegaly is caused by the hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH), which stimulates hepatic production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). While GH produces some of its somatic effects directly, others are mediated by IGF-1.6
In 95% of cases, acromegaly is due to pituitary adenomas, which generally grow slowly over several years.6 Pituitary tumors account for 15% of all intracranial tumors.8
In 90% of cases of acromegaly, the adenoma is made up of cells that secrete only GH. Of the remaining tumors, 25% secrete GH and prolactin, while other tumors secrete GH and different pituitary hormones.8
