title: Assessment of balance performance and fear of falling in acromegalic patients: a comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acromegaly may lead to balance disturbances and fear of falling due to changes in body composition and co-morbidities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate balance and fear of falling in acromegalic patients and their relation with disease characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight acromegalic patients and 41 age- and gender-matched controls were enrolled in the study. The median ages of the patients and controls were 48 (25-75) and 50 (25-67) yr, respectively. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and one-leg stance test (OLST) were used to compare dynamic and static balance respectively, 50 meters walking test was used to compare functional capacity and falls efficacy scale-international (FES-I) was used to compare fear of falling between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Balance tests (BBS and 50 meter walking test) and fear of falling (FES-I) were significantly disturbed in patients compared with controls. There was no significant difference in OLST. BBS and OLST were negatively and FES-I was positively correlated with age. FES-I was negatively correlated with BBS and OLST was positively correlated with 50 meters walking test. Only OLST was negatively correlated with disease duration. Logistic regression analysis revealed that balance was not affected by the presence of co-morbidities, postoperative vision loss and disease control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study showing that balance is disturbed in acromegalic patients. This disturbance is not related to disease control and co-morbidities but somewhat to disease duration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Atakum 55200, Samsun, Turkey. atmaca_aysegul@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atmaca
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tander
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ulus
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ecemis
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akyol
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomak
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000172:Acromegaly / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016138:Walking