Changes in visceral and subcutaneous fat mass in patients with pheochromocytoma.

Context: Overproduction of catecholamine induces not only hypertension but also glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia. However, little is known about its effect on visceral and subcutaneous fat.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate changes of metabolic factors including visceral and subcutaneous fat areas in patients with pheochromocytoma (Pheo).

Design And Patients: This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal follow-up study of cases collected from Gunma University Hospital between 2002 and 2013. Forty-two patients with Pheo and 23 with non-functioning adrenal adenoma (NFA) were analyzed before and after adrenalectomy.

Results: Multivariate logistic-regression analysis adjusted by age and gender revealed that glucose intolerance was more common in patients with Pheo than in patients with NFA (21/42, 51% vs. 4/23, 17%, p<0.05). Abdominal visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) were significantly lower in patients with Pheo than in those with NFA (80.2±38.7 vs. 124.3±61.8cm(2), p<0.05; 114.6±58.9 vs. 164.3±40.3cm(2), p<0.05, respectively). Significant correlations were observed between fractionated urine noradrenaline level and serum HDL-cholesterol level (r = 0.36, p<0.05), urine normetanephrine level and tumor size (r=0.57, p<0.01), and urine adrenaline level and systolic blood pressure (r=0.35, p<0.05) in Pheo. However, there were no significant correlations between adrenaline and noradrenaline levels and other parameters, including serum LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and HbA1c. Furthermore, both VFA and SFA, body weight, and BMI were significantly increased, and serum HbA1c as well as HDL-cholesterol levels were decreased after adrenalectomy in Pheo.

Conclusion: These findings suggest for the first time that catecholamines might regulate the serum HDL-cholesterol level and both abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat mass in men.