Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Acromegaly Before and After Treatment

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) prevalence in acromegaly patients is very common compared with general population. It is thought that OSAS in acromegaly patients evolve because of reversible and irreversible anatomical changes. However, reason of anatomical changes has not been known in present. Maybe, Growth Hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) levels could be an important factor in the development of anatomical changes. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of OSAS in acromegaly and to show the correlation between disease activity and OSAS in acromegalic patients. Materials and Methods: Newly diagnosed and treatment naive 15 acromegaly patients were included into the study. Patients were evaluated by polysomnography (PSG) recordings and hormone levels at baseline and 6 months after treatment. Results: Present study showed that OSAS is more common in patients with acromegaly than general population. Moreover, there is no correlation between GH, IGF-I level and apnea-hipopnea index (AHI) both at baseline and 6 months after treatment. Discussion: OSAS is a condition increased morbidity and mortality associated with acromegaly. Early diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly is important in order to prevent progression of anatomical changes leading to OSAS to an irreversible state. If OSAS and its complications had been prevented, morbidity and mortality in acromegaly patients would have been decreased.