Epidemiology of Acromegaly in Denmark 1991-2010
Epidemiology of Acromegaly in Denmark 1991-2010
Aim: To assess the incidence rate, morbidity and mortality of acromegaly in Denmark.
Background: Acromegaly is a rare disease caused by GH hypersecretion from a pituitary
 adenoma. The annual incidence is estimated to be 3-5/million with a prevalence of 100 -
 150/million. The incidence rate is however uncertain since no nationwide surveys exist. If
 left untreated or poorly controlled the condition is associated with progressive morbidity
 and an excess mortality. The primary treatment is surgery, which however only provides a cure
 rate of ≈ 50 -60% due to the size of the tumour. The second line treatment today is medical
 treatment with slow release formulations of somatostatin analogs (SA) and, more recently, a
 specific GH antagonist.

 Accurate data on incidence rates and outcome of treatment are of obvious importance in order
 to provide optimal and evidence-based treatment for the disease. This is particularly
 relevant in light of the availability of new and effective treatment modalities such as the
 GH antagonist, the proper place of which in the treatment algorithm still remains
 controversial.

 Denmark holds a unique position in terms of epidemiological studies due to the existence of
 well organized databases which include all its inhabitants. A recognised problem with
 epidemiological surveys from specialised centres is whether the figures are representative
 for the general population. A nationwide Danish study will profit from the fact that every
 Danish citizen holds a unique ID number that makes it easy to retrieve and combine pertinent
 data regarding health, disease and death from different registries. The investigators have
 previously used this for a landmark survey of another rare endocrine disease, i.e. Cushing's
 syndrome. This publication has been cited more than 100 times.

 Aim: To assess the incidence rate, morbidity and mortality of acromegaly in Denmark.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  diagnosed with acromegaly in years 1991-2010