This usually occurs when people produce a particular hormone in the wrong amount, either too much or too little. As a result, serious hormonal disorders can develop that need to be corrected or regulated with medication. One chronic and life-threatening disease resulting from hormonal imbalance is Acromegaly. Acromegaly is caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone resulting from a non-cancerous tumor on the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. On average, individuals with acromegaly die up to 10 years earlier than healthy individuals.
Growth hormone is a key factor in body growth and organ development.
The consequences of this can result in complications associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In addition, acromegaly is a rare condition that physicians see infrequently, and the signs and symptoms develop so gradually that the diagnosis may be missed for up to 10 years. Acromegaly affects approximately 19,000 diagnosed adults in the United States. Undiagnosed patients may well constitute an equal number, given the 10 year interval between onset and diagnosis. Family physicians usually only see a few cases over the course of their career.