What Are The Complications Of Acromegaly?

Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where long term force of the blood on the walls of the arteries is high enough to cause serious health issues such as heart disease. The resistance to arterial blood flow and the amount of blood the heart pumps are both factors that determine blood pressure levels. There are numerous ways the excess hormones in patients with acromegaly can produce the complication of hypertension. Excess growth hormone produces an anti-natriuretic action or intercepts the healthy process of urinary sodium excretion the kidneys are responsible for carrying out. Too much sodium in the blood causes the blood pressure to increase. The prevalence of insulin resistance in acromegaly patients can produce hypertension from increasing the amount of sodium that is being reabsorbed into the blood. In addition, excess growth hormones can stimulate sympathetic nervous activity which may influence blood pressure levels. The increased amount of growth hormones can cause new growth of abnormal blood vessels that contribute to the prevalence of hypertension in acromegaly patients.

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