Acro test using cortisol levels??

I just saw a new vet and inquired about acromegaly testing. He said that he prefers to test for it by taking cortisol levels throughout the day. He said that this will also be able to diagnose cushing's. Has anyone heard of testing for acro this way instead of using the igf-1 level?

Thanks!

 

not sure about that ,but i will ask around and see if anyone has heard of this as a confirmation for acrmegaly. i think just about all of us acro moms used the test from michigan state university IGF-1 .which is only done at MSU ill get back to you

 

Well, the vet's right about cortisol levels being used to test for Cushing's, but I have no idea where he got the idea it would diagnose acromegaly. Cushing's involves excess cortisol levels... acromegaly is elevated insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) and growth hormone (GH) and the two diseases are very different.

Sure, you can test for Cushing's (although I believe I've read that the results of the cortisole levels can still not pinpoint if that's the issue--- other symptoms are generally apparent). You might also add in the test for insulin autoantibodies (IAA) as it's a pretty cheap test and can look like acromegaly because of the doses needed to overcome it (IAA is self-limiting-- it's not a permanent condition).

If you haven't already, read the sticky about acro and other high dose conditions... and the links in it, too, which can help explain each condition more fully.

Hope this helps...

 

I think Dr. Lunn, who is trialing treatment options in Colorado, only considers IGF-1 a valid blood test for confirming acromegaly.

Since he has a preferred way of testing, I wonder if he has or has had any kitties under his care for any of these insulin-resistant diseases. It would be a plus if you have a vet with some experience in these areas.

 

I was googling acromegaly and cortisol levels. It does seem that they are in some way related. Vet said that the tumor on the pituitary gland causes more hormonal changes than just gh and igf-1, it also affects the cortisol levels. I didn't ask if he is treating any other acrobats, though. Good question for next time. Thanks for all your responses!

 

I'm sorry Claudia, I don't believe it's possible to test for acromegaly that way. Is there some reason he doesn't want to use the preferred test? The cushings test is ok but there is more than 1 type of cushings and only one of them can be tested that way. As well, there is also IAA which can not be tested without its own specific test. Does Charlie have a symptom of Cushings other than resistance? Because, of the high dose conditions, Cushings is truly rare.

 

And just a little FYI - altho NOT always true - the majority of cushing's cats are females - the majority of acro cats are male

If you check out the acro sticky in the high dose section there's a lot of great info on acro AND cushings in that. It might be worth sharing with your vet too.

I hope that helps alittle

 

Cortisol is a stress hormone -- so the test results may be wacky if your kitty is freaked out at the vets' office from barking dogs or other stimuli.

IGF-1 is the "gold standard" test for diagnosing Acromegaly.

 

Just an FYI...

I had the cortisol level testing done for Fletcher, also. The results were normal... but he did have acromegaly. So, at least in our case, testing for acromegaly using cortisol levels would've given a false negative.

If the testing for acro is going to be done (and I do understand it's not something you can get done right now), I would strongly encourage it be done using the more reliable testing method (i.e. IGF-1). It would be a shame to get negative cortisol level results and think your kitty is ok, when he is in fact an acromegalic cat. There are several things that go along with acromegaly-- it's not just all about insulin doses.

Hope you and Charlie are having a good day...

 

Ok,so it's it's more reliable to use the igf-1 test. I think I'd rather do that anyway so he doesn't gave to spend a full day at the get office. I have to call to get his urine test results tomorrow, so hopefully I will get to talk to the vet and tell him I'd rather do the igf-1 test. Many thanks!

 

I talked to the vet yesterday about the cortisol vs. igf-1 test. He said that the last time he tried to use MSU for the acro test they weren't doing it because of a problem with their reagents used to process the test. He agrees that the MRI is the #1 test for acro, then the igf-1 test, then the cortisol test. I'm obviously not doing the mri. He's going to call MSU today to see if they're back up and running with the test and he'll call me back. So apparently that's why he suggested the cortisol test. I hope he can do the igf-1 instead, though. I don't want to be without my sweet charlie for a whole day.

 

you can check the status of test availability on the MSU announcement page. i don't see any delays for the IGF-1 currently.

 

Yeah, my vet talked to their endocrinologist and found out that they're back up and running. So whenever we're ready, we'll do a draw on a monday so that it's there for the wednesday processing. We're waiting to see if maybe the lev will help without really needing to test for a while.