No Greater Incidence or Worsening of Cardiac Valve Regurgitation with Somatostatin Analog Treatment of Acromegaly

Context: Excess GH and IGF-I in acromegaly are associated with reduced life expectancy due to cardiovascular complications. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence, incidence, and severity of cardiac valve regurgitation before and after somatostatin-analog treatment in acromegaly. Design: This was a prospective, observer-blinded, multicenter, 12-month study. Setting: The study was conducted at 33 specialist centers. Patients: The study population consisted of 225 adult patients with acromegaly without significant cardiac valve abnormalities or prior valve-replacement surgery, matched for age, sex, and center/country/study. Interventions: Interventions included initiation/continuation of lanreotide (n = 107) or octreotide treatment (n = 118), tailored for optimal disease control. Main Outcome Measures: Relative risk of new/worsening regurgitation in any valve at 12 months compared with baseline, was measured. Results: At baseline, almost 80% of patients had some degree of ca...