Why Is Control Important for Me?
Control of acromegaly can make you feel better. That's one reason why it is important to begin treatment of acromegaly soon after diagnosis. Your health care professional should recommend treatment with the goal of controlling multiple aspects of the disease — the tumor, GH, IGF-1, and symptoms. This aggressive approach is designed to help you lead a long and healthy life.
Just as high blood pressure and diabetes are associated with significant risks, untreated acromegaly also is associated with a greater possibility of complications such as:
- Hypertension
- Cardiomegaly
- Diabetes mellitus
- Upper airway obstruction, sleep apnea
- Colon polyps and colon cancer
Your health care professional will recommend treatment to help avoid or treat these potentially serious problems.
You can help manage your own health by being aware of your GH and IGF-1 levels and working with your health care professional to achieve normal levels. This is important because recent studies of patients with acromegaly have shown that when GH levels are high for long periods, the complications shown above may reduce life expectancy. Monitoring and treating acromegaly may help you avoid health complications. Effective treatment also has been shown to improve or even reverse some of the early signs and symptoms that you may be experiencing, such as headache, soft tissue swelling, sweating, acne, joint pain, fatigue, sleep apnea, and hypertension.
