Cardiac (CMRI) Assessment of Acromegaly
Condition: Acromegaly
MeSH terms: Acromegaly
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In this study, the investigators will evaluate the cardiac structure and function, focusing
      on the myocardial water content and interstitial fibrosis, in patients with active acromegaly
      in comparison with 1) healthy volunteers, 2) the same acromegalic patients that have received
      efficient therapy.

      The investigators hypothesize that the myocardial water content in acromegaly is increased as
      these patients present with sodium and water retention and that this myocardial water
      infiltration will improve with efficient treatment of the disease. They will thus assess
      using CMRI, this parameter by measuring the myocardial transverse relaxation time (T2),
      reflecting water content in the myocardium.
    

Detailed description: 
      Patients with acromegaly have left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and dysfunction on
      echocardiography, but only very few studies have been performed using cardiac magnetic
      resonance imaging (CMRI), currently the reference modality is assessment in cardiac geometry
      function. In addition, no data are available on right ventricular (RV) and atrial structure
      and function. The pathophysiology of the cardiac involvement in acromegaly may be related to
      increase myocardiac water content and/or interstitial myocardiac fibrosis.

      The main objective of sthe study is to compare the myocardial water content in patients with
      acromegaly and in healthy volunteers. Secondary objectives of the study are to evaluate :

        1. interstitial fibrosis and the structure and the function of LV and RV in acromegalic
           patients in comparison with healthy volunteers;

        2. the reversibility of the cardiac involvement (water content, fibrosis, LV and RV
           structure and function) after efficient treatment of acromegaly;

        3. the elasticity of aorta in acromegalic patients in comparison with healthy volunteers
           and with the post-treatment state. Twenty acromegalic patients will be included in order
           to dispose of 15 patients that will completed the study and the same number of age- and
           BMI-adjusted healthy volunteers will be included.
    

Intervention name(s): CMRI; Gadolinium; OGTT
Intervention type(s): Device; Drug; Procedure
Intervention description(s): Myocardial Imaging (CMRI) will be performed in patients (at baseline and 6 month after treatment) and healthy volunteers (baseline); gadolinium injection will be performed during CMRI in patients and healthy volunteers.; Growth Hormon (GH) secretion and metabolic status of the acromegalic will be evaluated by an measure of plasma glucose, insulin and GH (OGTT), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) will be measured in patients and healthy volunteers.
Other intervention name(s): Gadolinium injection
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Acromegaly,; water retention; myocardial fibrosis; left ventricular hypertrophy; left ventricular dysfunction