Evidence mapPaperPMID 41165151Full record

SynthesisThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2026

Cardiometabolic Risk Parameters in "Nonfunctioning" Adrenal Incidentalomas: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Vittoria Favero, Davide Bernasconi, Alessandro Maloberti, Chiara Parazzoli, Antonio Musolino, Robert Chilton, Anthony P Heaney, Cristina Eller-Vainicher, Alfredo Scillitani, Iacopo Chiodini

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Vittoria FaveroDepartment of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy.
Davide BernasconiBicocca Bioinformatics Biostatistics and Bioimaging B4 Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Monza, Italy.
Alessandro MalobertiSchool of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy.
Chiara ParazzoliDepartment of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy.
Antonio MusolinoDepartment of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy.
Robert ChiltonDivision of Cardiology, University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78299, USA.
Anthony P HeaneyDepartment of Medicine, Endocrinology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Cristina Eller-VainicherUnit of Endocrinology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
Alfredo ScillitaniUnit of Endocrinology, Ospedale "Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza", 71013 Foggia, Italy.
Iacopo ChiodiniDepartment of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7594-3300

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveSeveral studies have investigated whether patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) have an increased cardiometabolic risk, based on surrogate parameters such as the augmentation index (Aix), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), insulin resistance (IR), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and pulse wave velocity (PWV), compared to patients without adrenal incidentalomas (AI). We sought to analyze the available literature to evaluate AIx, cIMT, FMD, IR, LVMI, and PWV in patients with NFAI as compared to patients without AI.

designSystematic review and meta-analysis.

methodsWe included studies that evaluated the cIMT and IR (primary outcomes) and AIx, FMD, LVMI, and PWV (secondary outcomes) in patients with NFAI vs matched subjects without AI. A random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird) was used to calculate the standardized mean difference and 95% CI for each outcome.

resultsAmong the 24 available studies, 21 studies provided the necessary data (2228 subjects, mean age 53.3 ± 2.9 years, 35% males). Data on cIMT, IR, AIx, FMD, LVMI, and PWV were reported in 12 (1063 subjects), 15 (1745 subjects), 2 (140 subjects), 3 (198 subjects), 3 (201 subjects), and 2 (140 subjects) studies, respectively. Compared with patients without AI, patients with NFAI showed statistically significant differences in cIMT, IR, AIx, FMD, LVMI, and PWV (standardized mean difference and 95% CI: 1.22, 0.87-1.58; 0.51, 0.32-0.69; 0.94, 0.38-1.50; -1.24, -1.84- -0.65; 0.41, 0.04-0.78; 1.03, 0.16-1.89, respectively).

conclusionBased on cIMT, IR, AIx, FMD, LVMI, and PWV levels, patients with NFAI may be at increased cardiovascular risk.

Indexed as

Adrenal Gland NeoplasmsCardiometabolic Risk FactorsCardiovascular DiseasesCarotid Intima-Media ThicknessHumansInsulin ResistanceMaleMiddle AgedPulse Wave Analysisadrenal incidentalomascortisolHOMA-IRinsulin resistanceintima-media thickness

Identifiers

PMID41165151
PMCPMC12819864

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.