Brief Communication: Pituitary Volume and Function in Competing and Retired Male Boxers

3 June 2008 | Volume 148 Issue 11 | Pages 827-831

Background: Pituitary consequences of chronic head trauma in boxing have not been investigated in detail.

Objective: To investigate the pituitary function in retired or active amateur boxers.

Design: Cross-sectional, observational study.

Setting: Turkey.

Participants: 61 actively competing (n = 44) or retired (n = 17) male boxers of the Turkish National Boxing Team.

Measurements: Body composition variables, pituitary volume (in 38 of 61 boxers), and pituitary function.

Results: 9 of 61 boxers (15%) had growth hormone (GH) deficiency and 5 of 61 boxers (8%) had adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency. All boxers with GH deficiency except 1 were retired from boxing. Of 17 retired boxers, 8 (47%) had GH deficiency. Retired boxers with GH deficiency had significantly lower pituitary volume than retired boxers with normal GH.

Limitation: Pituitary volume was measured in only 38 of 61 boxers, and the study had no comparison group.

Conclusion: This study suggests that retired boxers have a high rate of pituitary dysfunction. Therefore, investigation of pituitary function in boxers, particularly retired ones, is recommended.

Editors' Notes Context Reports suggest that 25% to 50% of patients with traumatic brain injury have pituitary dysfunction. Boxing carries a high risk for traumatic brain injury, yet there has been little systematic study of pituitary function in boxers. Contribution In this cross-sectional study of 61 active and retired boxers from the Turkish National Boxing Team, growth hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiencies were more frequent than would be expected in a general population. Nearly one half of retired boxers, the study participants with the longest boxing histories, had growth hormone deficiency. Implication Physicians should be alert for pituitary dysfunction in patients who have participated in boxing. —The Editors

 

Author and Article Information

From Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey, and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Acknowledgment: The authors thank Caner Doaneli (Head of Turkish Boxing Federation and General Secretary of World Boxing Federation), Faruk Hasetçi (Executive Member of Turkish Boxing Federation), and Dr. Mustafa Demirel (Member of Turkish Boxing Federation) for giving permission for the study. They also thank all the national boxers and trainers who participated in the study.

Grant Support: By the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK, project no. SBAG-3017).

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Consultancies: F.F. Casanueva (Pfizer). Honoraria: F.F. Casanueva (Pfizer). Grants received: F.F. Casanueva (Pfizer).

Reproducible Research Statement: Study protocol: Not available. Statistical code: Available by contacting Dr. Tanriverdi (e-mail, fatihtan{at}erciyes.edu.tr). Data set: Not available.

Requests for Single Reprints: Fatih Tanriverdi, MD, Erciyes University Medical School, Department of Endocrinology, 38039, Talasyolu, Kayseri, Turkey; e-mail, fatihtan{at}erciyes.edu.tr.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Tanriverdi, Unluhizarci, Kocyigit, Tuna, Karaca, Durak, Selcuklu, and Kelestimur: Erciyes University Medical School, 38039 Talasyolu, Kayseri, Turkey.

Dr. Casanueva: Santiago de Compostela University, PO Box 563, San Francisco Street 1, E-15780 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Author Contributions: Conception and design: F. Tanriverdi, K. Unluhizarci, A. Selcukulu, F.F. Casanueva, F. Kelestimur.

Analysis and interpretation of the data: F. Tanriverdi, K. Unluhizarci, F.F. Casanueva, F. Kelestimur.

Final approval of the article: F. Tanriverdi, K. Unluhizarci, I. Kocyigit, I.S. Tuna, Z. Karaca, A.C. Durak, A. Selcuklu, F.F. Casanueva, F. Kelestimur.

Collection and assembly of data: F. Tanriverdi, I. Kocyigit, I.S. Tuna, Z. Karaca, A.C. Durak.

Read all Rapid Responses

Pituitary dysfunction in boxers

Hernado Rafael

Annals Online, 10 Jun 2008 [Full text]