Endocrine Abstracts

A 64-year-old female presented to the acute medical take with hypercalcaemia. She had a 3 weeks history of polyuria, polydipsia, constipation, intermittent abdominal pain and feeling depressed. She reported weight loss of 3.5 kg over the past 6 months. She denied symptoms of dysphagia, dyspnoea, haemoptysis, haematemesis, or malaena. Her past medical history included anaemia, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and uterine prolapse. She was an ex-smo...

Glucocorticoids (GC) are commonly prescribed and their use is associated with adverse metabolic side effects. 5a-reductase (5aR) inhibitors are also frequently prescribed mainly for their ability to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. However, they also have a role to inactivate and clear GCs. We hypothesised that 5aR inhibitors have the potential to exacerbate the adverse metabolic effects of GCs. We conducted a prospective, randomised, study in 19 ...

Glucocorticoids (GC) are commonly prescribed and their use is associated with adverse metabolic side effects. 5a-reductase (5aR) inhibitors are also frequently prescribed mainly for their ability to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. However, they also have a role to inactivate and clear GCs. We hypothesised that 5aR inhibitors have the potential to exacerbate the adverse metabolic effects of GCs. We conducted a prospective, randomised, study in 19 ...

Introduction: Glucocorticoids (GC) are prescribed to 2–3% of the population of the UK and USA. Their use is associated with a significant side effect profile that includes the development of central obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. 5α-reductase (5αR) inhibitors (Finasteride and Dutasteride) are also commonly prescribed in the context of prostate disease, where they inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Additionally, they ...

Background: Prednisolone is the most commonly prescribed exogenous glucocorticoid(GC) and its use is frequently associated with the development of iatrogenic Cushing’s Syndrome. Once administered, prednisolone is rapidly converted to inactive prednisone by renal 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2(11β-HSD2) and subsequently reactivated by 11β-HSD1. We have shown previously that 11β-HSD1 inhibition(with the selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor, AZD4017...

Glucocorticoids (GC) are commonly prescribed, but their use is associated with significant adverse metabolic and bone effects. 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) regenerates active GC within tissues, tightly controlling the availability of GC to bind and activate the GC receptor; Our preclinical data have shown that 11β-HSD1 knock out mice resist the adverse effects of exogenous GC excess. We have now conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo...