Cardiovascular dysfunction risk in young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency

Author(s)

Borges, Juliano Henrique ; Santoro, Renata Isa ; de Oliveira, Daniel Minutti ; de Lemos-Marini, Sofia Helena Valente ; Geloneze, Bruno ; Guerra-Junior, Gil ; Goncalves, Ezequiel Moreira

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE; v. 75, n. 7 MAY 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background The association of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) caused by 21-hydroxylase enzyme (21OHase) deficiency, duration of treatment and dosage with cardiovascular dysfunction in young adults remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate myocardial function, vascular structures and epicardial fat thickness in young adults with CAH as a result of 21OHase deficiency. Correlations between the duration and dose of glucocorticoid therapy and cardiovascular parameters were analysed. Methods This case-control study of young adults (18-31 years old) included 20 patients (5 men and 15 women) and 16 control subjects (8 men and 8 women). Echocardiographic analysis was performed using high-resolution ultrasound. Results No ultrasonographic changes in any indices of myocardial function, vascular structures and epicardial fat thickness were found in patients, except for an impaired left ventricular end-diastolic diameter in female patients (28.1 +/- 1.6 vs 26.0 +/- 2.4 mm/m(2), P = .021), compared with those in individuals in the control group. Nevertheless, the individual patient values were within the normal range. Multiple linear regression analysis in female patients demonstrated that an elevated daily dose of glucocorticoids correlated with increased indices of left ventricular posterior wall thickness (Partial r = 0.68, P = .007), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (Partial r = 0.62, P = .017), aortic diameter (Partial r = 0.60, P = .022) and left carotid artery intima-media thickness (Partial r = 0.61, P = .021), independently of treatment duration. Conclusion No signs of cardiovascular dysfunction were observed in any patient. The daily dose of glucocorticoids may play a role in the mechanisms of some markers of cardiac hypertrophy, left ventricular and aortic dilation and subclinical atherosclerosis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/23460-1 - Cardiometabolic risk in patients with classical Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency.
• Grantee: Ezequiel Moreira Gonçalves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 12/16778-8 - Cardiometabolic evaluation and pancreatic beta cell secretion pattern in congenital adrenal hyperplasia patients
• Grantee: Gil Guerra Júnior
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants