An in-depth exploration of the catecholamine and dyslipidemia relationship in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma patients: a large Chinese cohort study.

Abstract

Objective: The aim is to investigate the relationship between catecholamine levels and dyslipidemia in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) patients.

Methods: Clinical data from 500 PPGL patients were retrospectively analyzed, including clinical demographics, genetic mutations, tumor size, preoperative catecholamine levels, and lipid profiles. Comparison of lipid levels before and after surgery were also conducted.

Results: A total of 500 patients were included: 238 males (47.6%) and 262 females (52.4%), with an average age at diagnosis of 46.5 ± 15.4 years. The prevalence of dyslipidemia among PPGL patients was 59.2%. In different catecholamine secretion types, norepinephrine (NE) secreting type group had significantly higher total cholesterol levels (4.82 [4.21, 5.38] vs. 4.43 [3.78, 4.92] mmol/L, p < 0.0167) compared to the non-secreting type group. However, there were no significant differences in triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein among different secretion types. This study showed the first detailed analysis of the distribution of elevated total cholesterol in different age groups and BMI categories. Patients with overweight had the highest rate of elevated total cholesterol (48.5%). Additionally, within different age brackets, individuals aged 51-60 years displayed the highest rate of abnormal total cholesterol levels. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative biochemical outcomes in 69 patients with PPGLs showed that surgical resection effectively reduced catecholamine levels and improved total cholesterol levels.

Conclusions: The incidence of dyslipidemia is high among patients with PPGL, and there exists strong link between lipid metabolism and catecholamine secretion, thus highlighting the importance of closely monitoring lipid levels in patients with PPGL.