title: [Arterial stiffness in hypopituitary patients with life-long growth hormone deficiency].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with hypopituitarism have a shorter survival period from and premature mortality due to cardiovascular complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to evaluate the arterial stiffness and hemodynamic parameters based on pulse wave analysis in 22 adult patients with long-life growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like factor I (IGF-I) deficiencies, lasting from 22 to 57 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all patients, a combined pituitary hormone deficiency was diagnosed. All patients were on substitution therapy, receiving levothyroxine, sex hormones and hydrocortisone (when required), but none of the patients had ever received recombinant GH therapy. A control group consisted of 36 healthy subjects strictly matched to patients by age and body mass index. In the patients and control subjects pulse wave analysis was performed with the use of Sphigmocor MX reconstructing the aortic pulse wave in a real time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peripheral and central augmentation indexes were significantly increased in the hypopituitary patients compared with the control subjects. The central pulse pressure was also elevated in the patients. These hemodynamic parameters pointed to an increased arterial stiffness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with hypopituitarism, the life-long GH and IGF-I deficiencies lead to an increase in the arterial stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Klinika Endokrynologii i Przemiany Materii, Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Karola Marcinkowskiego, Poznań. jkosowicz@poczta.fm
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kosowicz
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: El Ali
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wykretowicz
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krauze
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guzik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I