OBJECTIVETo verify whether peripheral blood circulation and arterial wall distensibility are influenced by atmospheric pressure (AtPr) and to examine if their association is dependent on age and/or sex.

METHODSAssociations among natural AtPr levels (on the examination day as well as 1 and 2 days prior), limb muscle hemodynamics, and distensibility of conduit arteries were retrospectively examined in an observational study of 276 untreated patients with primary moderate hypertension (mean age 56.4 years, 194 men). Forearm and calf circulations at rest and 3 min after ischemia were measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. Compliance of the brachial and shank arteries was assessed by oscillometry.

RESULTSAfter adjustment for age, degree of hypertension, and season, correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed a season-independent but age-dependent direct correlation between the stiffness of limb arteries and AtPr levels on the examination day in men, but not women. The association weakened with the degree of hypertension, disappeared with age, and was more evident in the arms than in the legs.

CONCLUSIONParameters of arterial wall distensibility in adult hypertensive men are susceptible to AtPr changes within the usually observed limits (730-770 mmHg). It is proposed that reduction of arterial wall barometric responsiveness in women and aging men is a likely mechanism underlying their meteosensitivity.

Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; physiology ; Atmospheric Pressure ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal ; blood supply ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Sex Characteristics ; Vascular Stiffness

Acromegaly presents with an enigmatic range of symptoms and comorbidities caused by chronic and progressive growth hormone elevations, commonly due to endocrinologic hypersecretion from a pituitary gland tumor. Comprehensive national acromegaly databases have been appearing over the years, allowing for international comparisons of data, although still presenting varying prevalence and incidence rates. Lack of large-scale analysis in geographical and ethnic differences in clinical presentation and management requires further research. Assessment of current and novel predictors of responsiveness to distinct therapy can lead to multilevel categorization of patients, allowing integration into new clinical guidelines and reduction of increased morbidity and mortality associated with acromegaly. This review compares current data from epidemiological studies and assesses the present-day application of prognostic factors in medical practice, the reality of precision therapy, as well as its future prospects in acromegaly, with a special focus on its relevance to the South Korean population.