title: Quality of life in female patients with acromegaly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life and depression status in female patients with acromegaly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven female patients with acromegaly (21 inactive, 36 active) who were being followed-up at the Cerrahpasa Medical School, Endocrinology and Metabolism out-patient clinic, were included in the study. Depression status and quality of life of the patients were evaluated according to disease activity using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Acromegaly Quality of Life (AcroQoL) Questionnaire. Prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-SO4), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, free thyroxin (FT4), thyrotropin (TSH), cortisol, GH and IGF-I were studied in the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AcroQoL total score in female patients with controlled acromegaly and uncontrolled acromegaly were 45.5 [Interquartile range (IQR)= 32.9-57.4], 47.7 [(IQR)= 38.6-63.3], respectively (p=0.53). There was no difference in BDI scores in acromegalic patients according to disease activity (p=0.41). In the correlation analysis, a strong negative correlation was found between AcroQoL total score and BDI score (r=-0.72, p<0.0001), OSAS (r=-0.32, p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that QoL was impaired in female patients with acromegaly even if they were in remission. Depressive mood and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) could affect QoL in female patients with acromegaly.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Cerrahpasa Medical School, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kadioglu
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires