Executive functioning and quality of life in acromegaly

Active acromegaly is a rare chronic endocrine disorder caused by excessive growth hormone (GH). Clinical studies suggest that cognitive performance is impaired in acromegaly - particularly executive function as well as short- and long-term memory. This study compared the quality of life (QoL) and executive functioning in acromegaly patients vs healthy controls. This was an observational case-control study on 38 subjects divided into 19 acromegaly patients and 19 matched controls. The groups were evaluated for QoL, attention, and executive function. All subjects completed Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL), Trail Making Test (parts A and B), Stroop, and phonemic fluency tests. Acromegaly patients had an AcroQoL global score that was significantly lower than controls. There were significant differences between the acromegaly group and the control group in terms of the physical effects ( =0.001) and appearance (