Occurrence of ventricular late potentials in patients with active acromegaly

OBJECTIVE Patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of ventricular dy srhythmias and sudden death. Late potentials in a signal-averaged electroca rdiogram (SAECG), a predictor of ventricular dysrhythmias, are frequently s een in patients after previous myocardial infarction, but little is known a bout the prevalence of late potentials in acromegaly. The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of late potentials in patients with acrom egaly and their relation to the activity of the disease and to myocardial h ypertrophy. PATIENTS The study Included 48 patients with acromegaly [27 males, 21 femal es, mean age 52.3 +/- 14.2 years, 16 active disease, 32 cured or 'well cont rolled', under treatment with sandostatin analogues (12/32)] and 38 healthy volunteers as a control group. RESULTS Late potentials were detected in 9/16 (56%) patients with active ac romegaly vs. 2/32 (6%) with cured/well controlled acromegaly (P = 0.001), d efined as normal age-related IGF-1 levels and GH levels suppressible below 1 mug/l after an oral glucose load (75 g). Late potentials were not related to muscle mass Index (127 +/- 35 active vs. 123 +/- 34 g/m(2) cured/well c ontrolled). The association of disease activity with the detection of late potentials was independent of age, gender, duration of the disease and body mass index. In comparison to the control group, the prevalence of late pot entials was significantly higher in patients with acromegaly (23%) than in the control group (0%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Late potentials in the SAECG are frequently seen in active acro megaly and may represent an early and sensitive parameter to detect myocard ial injury in acromegaly.