Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2006) 11 OC20

ECE2006 Oral Communications Clinical endocrinology (8 abstracts)

A European prospective real-life observational study of Quality of Life in patients with acromegaly

SM Webb 1 , A Colao 2 , P Caron 3 , M Carvalheiro 4 , E Ertürk 5 , A Pokrajac-Simeunovic 6 , J Schopohl 7 , S Tsagarakis 8 , IV Pearson 9 , X Badia 10 , S Caglio 11 & B Vincenzi 11


1Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy; 3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism Disease, Centre Hospitalier de Rangueil, Toulouse Cedex, France; 4Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Serviço de Endocrinologia, Coimbra, Portugal; 5Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Uludag University Medical Faculty, Bursa, Turkey; 6Department of Endocrinology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom; 7Endokrinologisches Zentrum, Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum der LMU, Munich, Germany; 8Department of Endocrinology, Polykliniki of Athens Hospital, Athens, Greece; 9Evidence Research Unit, Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom; 10Health &br;Outcomes Research Europe, Barcelona, Spain; 11Novartis Oncology, Region Europe, Origgio, Italy.


The primary aim of this study, the largest European, single evaluation, observational trial to date, was to evaluate the impact of acromegaly on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with biochemically documented active disease, receiving Sandostatin® LAR® at a dose prescribed by their physician for at least 3 months. Secondary objectives were to investigate the relationships between HRQoL and subpopulations based on exploratory variables [age, gender, education, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)] and to compare the results of the Acromegaly Quality-of-Life questionnaire (ACROQOL) and SF-36. The study was approved by Health Authorities and/or local Ethics Committees, according to local regulations. Patients were invited to participate in the study when they attended a scheduled visit. GH and IGF-1 levels were to be measured within two months of completion of the questionnaires.

A total of 817 patients (55% female, mean age 51±14 years) were recruited in England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey. Patients had a diagnosis of acromegaly for an average of 8 years, and had been treated with Sandostatin® LAR® for an average of 3.4 years (range 0.3–18 years) at a median dose of 30 mg (range 10–60 mg). Basal GH and IGF-1 mean levels were 4.2 and 345 ng/ml respectively. Both the ACROQOL and SF-36 recorded poorer HRQoL with advancing age and increasing number of comorbidities. The correlation between the ACROQOL and the SF-36 was good (P<0.001) and overall results suggest that ACROQOL may be more sensitive to the psychological impact of acromegaly than to the physical impact. While some cultural differences were found across the SF-36 domains, the results with the ACROQOL were consistent across all countries, confirming the ACROQOL to be a valid and sensitive tool for measuring the impact of acromegaly on HRQoL.

Volume 11

8th European Congress of Endocrinology incorporating the British Endocrine Societies

European Society of Endocrinology 
British Endocrine Societies 

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