Estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators in acromegaly.

Despite recent advances in acromegaly treatment by surgery, drugs, and radiotherapy, hormonal control is still not achieved by some patients. The impairment of IGF-1 generation by estrogens in growth hormone deficient patients is well known. Patients on oral estrogens need higher growth hormone doses in order to achieve normal IGF-1 values. In the past, estrogens were one of the first drugs used to treat acromegaly. Nevertheless, due to the high doses used and the obvious side effects in male patients, this strategy was sidelined with the development of more specific drugs, as somatostatin receptor ligands and dopamine agonists. In the last 15 years, the antagonist of growth hormone receptor became available, making possible IGF-1 control of the majority of patients on this particular drug. However, due to its high cost, pegvisomant is still not available in many centers around the world. In this setting, the effect of estrogens and also of selective estrogen receptor modulators on IGF-1 control was reviewed, and proved to be an ancillary tool in the management of acromegaly. This review describes data concerning their efficacy and place in the treatment algorithm of acromegaly.

Recomendaciones para el manejo de la osteoporosis

En la actualidad la osteoporosis se considera solamente como un riesgo de fractura y por lo tanto se debe analizar en compañía de otros riesgos para decidir la conveniencia del tratamiento. Es más importante considerar la calidad ósea que confiere la resistencia, en la que la densidad ósea es uno de los varios componentes junto con la microarquitectura, la matriz y el recambio óseo. El tratamiento de la osteoporosis se hace en forma individual, considerando la edad y el antecedente de fractura, para así seleccionar varios recursos que se pueden agrupar en antiresortivos y anabólicos. Entre los primeros están los estrógenos, los bisfosfonatos y los moduladores selectivos del receptor de estrógenos como los principales; los anabólicos aún se encuentran en estudio y el más adelantado es la parathormona sintética. La administración de calcio y vitamina D no es suficiente para el tratamiento de la osteoporosis. El principal problema del tratamiento, que ha provocado una baja adherencia es el costo de los medicamentos y la falta de información sobre la necesidad de que el tratamiento sea a muy largo plazo.

Osteoporosis has to be considered only as a risk factor for bone fractures and its measurement by the bone mass index has some limitations. The aim of treatment of osteoporosis is to reduce the frequency of fractures (especially at the vertebral and the hip) which are responsible for morbidity and mortality with the osteoporosis. It has been demonstrated that antiresorptive drugs (bisphosphonates, estrogens, raloxifen) as well as anabolic agents (synthetic parathormone) are useful for preventing fractures. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is not sufficient to treat persons with osteoporosis. Choice of treatment depends of age, the presence or absence of prevalent fractures, and the degree of bone mineral density measured at the spine and hip. The main inconvenient for the adherence of treatment is the high cost of the medicaments and agents as well as the poor information given to the patients.