Comorbidities and Survival in Patients With Lipodystrophy: An International Chart Review Study

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Nov 1;104(11):5120-5135. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-02730.

Abstract

Context: Limited natural history data are available in patients with non-HIV-related lipodystrophy syndromes who never received disease-specific therapies, making interpretation of benefits of therapies in lipodystrophy syndromes challenging.

Objective: We assessed the natural history of non-HIV-related generalized lipodystrophy (GL) and partial lipodystrophy (PL) in patients who have never received leptin or other lipodystrophy-specific therapies.

Design/setting/patients: We conducted an international chart review of 230 patients with confirmed GL or PL at five treatment centers who never received leptin or other lipodystrophy-specific therapies. Patients were observed from birth to loss to follow-up, death, or date of chart abstraction.

Outcome measures: Lifetime prevalence of diabetes/insulin resistance and select organ abnormalities, time to diabetes/insulin resistance, first organ abnormality, disease progression, and mortality were described.

Results: Diabetes/insulin resistance was identified in 58.3% of patients. Liver abnormalities were the most common organ abnormality (71.7%), followed by kidney (40.4%), heart (30.4%), and pancreatitis (13.0%). Kaplan-Meier estimates of mean (SE) time to first organ abnormality were 7.7 years (0.9) in GL and 16.1 years (1.5) in PL (P < 0.001). Mean time to diabetes/insulin resistance was 12.7 years (1.2) in GL and 19.1 years (1.7) in PL (P = 0.131). Mean time to disease progression was 7.6 years (0.8) and comparable between GL and PL subgroups (P = 0.393). Mean time to death was 51.2 years (3.5) in GL and 66.6 years (1.0) in PL (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: This large-scale study provides comprehensive, long-term data across multiple countries on the natural history of non-HIV-related lipodystrophy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Comorbidity
  • Diabetes Complications / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Complications / mortality
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Genetic Testing
  • Humans
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lipodystrophy / complications*
  • Lipodystrophy / epidemiology
  • Lipodystrophy / mortality*
  • Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized / epidemiology
  • Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized / mortality
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Supplementary concepts

  • Lipodystrophy, Partial, Acquired