Endocrine Abstracts

Amiodarone was first introduced in the 1960s and is now widely used to treat and prevent arrhythmias but it has a number of side effects, which include a perplexing array of thyroid effects. The latter stem from three features of the drug: its high iodine content, its ability to affect deiodination of T4 and its inhibition of T3 receptor binding. Around 3% of amiodarone-treated patients in areas with high iodine intake develop amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT), whereas t...

Managing epilepsy in women is complicated by effects of sex steroids on seizures, antiepileptic drug (AED)- oral contraceptive (OCs) interactions, AED associated bone disease, reproductive endocrine disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and by the teratogenic and adverse developmental effects of some AEDs.Approximately 30% of women with epilepsy (WWE) have catamenial seizure patterns with seizures occurring with the ovulatory estrogen surge ...

One percent of the UK population takes chronic oral corticosteroids and this rises to 3% in subjects aged over 70 years old. When inhaled, topical and parenteral steroids are added to this burden, iatrogenic Cushing’s becomes a major health issue. High doses of medroxyprogesterone acetate can cause glucocorticoid effects and drug interactions may impair the metabolism of some glucocorticoids (e.g. fluticasone), thereby increasing their potency. In each case, patients may ...

Hyponatraemia is the commonest electrolyte abnormality in acute hospital admissions. The presence of hyponatraemia is a negative prognostic factor which is associated with increased duration of hospital stay and increased mortality; mortality rates exceed 50% when plasma sodium concentration is <115 mmol/l. Errors in establishing the aetiology of hyponatraemia have been shown to lead to inappropriate treatment, with adverse outcomes, so accurate diagnosis is an essential p...