Endocrine Abstracts

BackgroundIntravenous levothyroxine (IVT4) is FDA-approved for the treatment of myxedema coma (ME). We noticed that at our hospital, IVT4 is administered more frequently than expected.Aim of studyTo assess the extent of IVT4 administration, the indications for such a treatment, and its outcome at a tertiary facility.MethodsA retrospective study of IVT4 administere...

Background and Aim: We previously demonstrated (1) that in our transgender clinic, adoptees are significantly overrepresented compared to the general population, suggesting early life traumas may play a role in the etiology of transgenderism. We had also shown a large preponderance (close to 80%) of female sex-assigned-at-birth (SAB), and a trend for presenting for treatment at an older age than non-adopted subjects. In the current study we aimed to further characterize this s...

Serum total cortisol has been linked to increased mortality in patients with Covid-19, but its reliability in critically ill patients is limited. We examined the association between serum free cortisol (SFC) levels and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with Covid-19 between 5/5/2020 and 1/3/2021 in our institution. Methods: SFC was measured in blood samples collected at patient’s admission, prior to any medical treatment. Patients’ fil...

Background: Among the various ethnicities in the Israeli mosaic, the Ethiopian community is the most recently settled, with an immigration that started less than 40 years ago. Largely young, this 160,000-member community comprises nonetheless about 25,000 persons 50 years or older, virtually all born in Ethiopia. Despite this growing aging population, there is no knowledge regarding osteoporotic fractures in this unique East African ethnic group, not even from data originating...

Background and aim of study: Endocrinologists play a central role in the gender affirming process that transgender people chose to undergo, and may be ill-prepared to recognize and manage psychologic difficulties that accompany gender dysphoria. We sought to characterize the patient population currently under our care with respect to their mental health, and to address the question of possible differences between transwomen (TW) and transmen (TM).Methods...

Background: True Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is an exceedingly rare condition, thus to avoid unnecessary and costly testing, a diagnostic investigation should only start based on solid clinical suspicion. The current obesity epidemic has become a hurdle in discriminating subjects at real risk for CS from those with the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, many CS patientsrecently diagnosed do not fit the typical clinical profile of ‘at risk subjects’.<p class="abste...

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors decrease the degradation of low–density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, thereby increasing the removal of LDL particles from the blood and significantly reducing LDL cholesterol levels by an average of 65%. Blom et al. showed changes in vitamin E, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, total testosterone, and estradiol in EVOLOCUMAB (PCSK9 inhibitor)–treated patients 1. Ther...

Background and Aim: We previously demonstrated that low-dose estradiol (E2) administered sublingually alone for 6 months in treatment-naïve trans women (TW), suppressed testosterone to the same degree, but generated higher serum E2 levels as the same oral dose combined with cyproterone acetate. We now sought to assess the possible differential impact of these approaches on anthropometric and body composition measurements, sex-dependent indicators with proven metabolic pro...

Background: Sublingual estradiol (E) for gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) of transgender women (TW) might obviate the need for an anti-androgen, and mitigate pro-coagulant changes. We recently showed that 2 mg E, divided into 4 daily SL doses (SLE), offers no clinical advantage over the same dose given orally in combination with cyproterone acetate (CPA). Furthermore, we showed that after each sublingual administration, serum E2 (sE2) peaked to levels, the likes of whic...

Background: The standard approach for Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) of transgender women (TW) in Israel is oral estradiol (OE) combined with the potent anti-androgen cyproterone acetate (CA). Recently, many of our non-binary patients have requested sublingual estradiol (SLE) without CA, under the unproven belief it preserves erectile function, and does not induce depression. Preliminary data in a few subjects, who self-practiced this approach, suggested it also maint...