Pharmacological Therapy for Acromegaly

1033 Words3 Pages

Acromegaly is an imbalance in the hormonal sequence that is normally the product of excessive growth hormones in the human body. This is evident from the origin of the name which is Greek for dilated or something existing in extremity. The condition is common in the pituitary glands of the brain which are mostly credited with control of the growth hormone (GH) and results in consequent strings of excessive growth often manifested in the elongation of the hands, feet and bulging of the soft tissue. Although symptoms are bound to emerge at any given age, Acromegaly has a prevalent record among adults who fall in the middle age group. The severity of the condition is quite a threat and demanding in that, if not treated on time can result in a string of other health complications. These include arthritis, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and worst of all leads to death. The condition can be termed as manageable in a wide percentage of the patients with the only challenge being its sluggish emergence which eclipses the possibility of a perfect or early diagnosis should the condition occur (Hasnain, 2004). Symptoms most commonly associated with acromegaly may include; weakness, impotence for males, dilation and elongation of hands and limbs as shown in the above figure, and revealing facial features which may however portray themselves differently in separate individuals. Other symptoms include deepening of the voice, headaches, reduced libido and pains in the joints. Acromegaly causes trace back to a lengthened and multiplied release of the growth hormones from the pituitary glands where hormonal regulation for body activities like growth, metabolism and reproduction are controlled (Levy 2004). The ... ... middle of paper ... ...rs being removed. In conclusion it is believed that the prevalence of the disease is very low in humans at any given time with only 60 out of every million living with the disease. However, smaller strains are common affecting 16% of the population but they not exhibit symptoms nor multiply the production of GH. Works cited Muller A.F, Van Der Lely A.J. (2004). Pharmacological Therapy for Acromegaly: A Clinical Review. Drugs. Vol. 64(16):1817–1838. Levy A. (2004). Pituitary disease: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. Vol. 75:47–52. Hasnain M. Khandwala. (Sep 13, 2010). Acromegaly. www.umm.edu/endocrin/acromegaly.htm Shlomo Melmed, (2006). Acromegaly. New England Journal of Medicine. Vol. 355:2558-2573 Holdaway I.M. (2004), Treatment of acromegaly. Hormone Research. Vol.62 (Suppl. 3): 79–92.

More about Pharmacological Therapy for Acromegaly

Open Document