Cardiovascular risk in patients with nonfunctional adrenal incidentaloma: myth or reality?
BACKGROUND
It is not clear whether nonfunctional adrenal incidentaloma (NFA) increases the risk of atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome or whether this type of adrenal tumor has been found more frequently in patients with cardiometabolic risk factors. We aimed to determine the effects of NFA on cardiometabolic risk factors and endothelial function and to compare the patients with a 1:1 cardiometabolic risk factor matched control group.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients with NFA were studied, and 35 body mass index-, age-, and sex-matched subjects were regarded as group 2 controls. Thirty-five cardiometabolic risk factors-matched subjects were then regarded as group 3 controls.


RESULTS
Patients with NFA had significantly lower flow-mediated dilation (FMD)-a parameter for endothelial function-measurements compared with groups 2 and 3 (7.1 +/- 2.9% vs. 12.9 +/- 3.8% and 13.5 +/- 4.5%; P < 0.02). Frequency of metabolic syndrome was also significantly higher in NFA patients than in control groups 2 and 3 (31.4, 5.7, and 20.0%, respectively; P < 0.05). Age (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.9), total cholesterol (OR = 2.3), and presence of adrenal incidentaloma (OR = 10) were significant independent predictors of lower FMD (P < 0.05 for all).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with NFA have increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and impaired endothelial function compared with 1:1 cardiometabolic risk factor-matched controls.
Erbil
Yesim
Y
Department of General Surgery, Istanbul University Medical Faculty, 34340, Capa, Istanbul, Turkey. yerbil2003@yahoo.com
Ozbey
Nese
N
Barbaros
Umut
U
Unalp
Haluk Recai
HR
Salmaslioglu
Artur
A
Ozarmagan
Selçuk
S
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors