Cardiovascular risk in patients with acromegaly vs. non-functioning pituitary adenoma following pituitary surgery: an active-comparator cohort study

PurposeGiven the increased cardio-metabolic risk in patients with acromegaly, this study compared cardiovascular outcomes, mortality, and in-hospital outcomes between patients with acromegaly and non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) following pituitary surgery.MethodsThis was a nationwide cohort study using data from hospitalized patients with acromegaly or NFPA undergoing pituitary surgery in Switzerland between January 2012 and December 2021. Using 1:3 propensity score matching, eligible acromegaly patients were paired with NFPA patients who underwent pituitary surgery, respectively. The primary outcome comprised a composite of cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, ischemic stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, intracranial hemorrhage, hospitalization for hypertensive crisis) and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included individual components of the primary outcome, surgical re-operation, and various hospital-associated outcomes.ResultsAmong 231 propensity score-matched patients with acromegaly and 491 with NFPA, the incidence rate of the primary outcome was 8.18 versus 12.73 per 1,000 person-years (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64; [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-1.32]). Mortality rates were numerically lower in acromegaly patients (2.43 vs. 7.05 deaths per 1,000 person-years; HR, 0.34; [95% CI, 0.10-1.17]). Individual components of the primary outcome and in-hospital outcomes showed no significant differences between the groups.ConclusionThis cohort study did not find an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in patients with acromegaly undergoing pituitary surgery compared to surgically treated NFPA patients. These findings suggest that there is no legacy effect regarding higher cardio-metabolic risk in individuals with acromegaly once they receive surgical treatment.