Control of acromegaly can alleviate symptoms of the disease, help you feel better, and may reduce the risk of more serious health issues associated with the disease. It is important to begin treatment of acromegaly soon after diagnosis, so you and your healthcare professional can work towards controlling multiple aspects of the disease — including the tumor, growth hormone (GH) levels, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels, 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 is also associated with a greater possibility of complications such as:
- Hypertension
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes mellitus
- Upper airway obstruction, sleep apnea
- Colon polyps and colon cancer
Your healthcare 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 healthcare 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 has also 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.
Find out questions to ask your doctor
