Too much of a good thing can be dangerous. For people with acromegaly, a rare disease caused by too much growth hormone (GH), an excess of this otherwise helpful growth factor can be deadly.
Acromegaly typically occurs in middle age from the growth of a tumor on the pituitary gland. The release of too much GH signals to the body’s extremities to keep growing. Facial features and teeth may be affected too. But the burden of too much GH also leads to heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Treatment is typically surgery (to remove the tumor) and medication to lower HG levels, but once the excessive growth occurs the damage may not be reversible.
Because it is rare (only 60 out of 100,000 people are affected by this condition) Acromegaly Awareness Day is essential to help support those who suffer from this often isolating disorder.
On November 1, show your support for people living with the disease by continuing a tradition that was started last year by Novartis. The campaign was called “A Day in My Acromegaly Shoes” and here’s how you can get involved.
Step 1: Put on your favorite shoes
Step 2: Take a “shoe selfie” by yourself or with friends
Step 3: Post your “shoe selfie” to your social media channels with the caption/hashtag: “I’m taking a step forward for acromegaly awareness #MyAcroShoes”
Step 4: Check out other shoe selfies to like/retweet by searching our hashtag!
