Endocrine Abstracts

The different balance in the sex hormones, androgens and estrogens, is a cardinal aspect of the biology of gender difference and plays a fundamental role in maintaining the physiological state at each age of life. However, the imbalance in sex hormones is involved in some metabolic diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes, with androgens playing an interesting sexually dimorphic role. In particular, the bulk of evidence suggests that hyperandrogenism in women or hypogonadism in ...

Although there are many phenotypes of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), we are mainly talking about three phenotypes: metabolic, hyperandrogenic and reproductive phenotype. Obesity and insulin resistance are the major determinants of the metabolic heterogeneity of patients with PCOS. Certain degree of hepatic insulin resistance exists in PCOS irrespective of obesity. In non-obese PCOS preserved insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues exists. The presence of obesity is of g...

Background: In men with obesity and the metabolic syndrome there is an increased prevalence of low serum testosterone. Overweight and moderate obesity is associated mainly with low total testosterone (T) secondary to decreased concentrations of SHBG, which are strongly inversely associated with indices of adiposity and insulin resistance, and preserved free T levels. In more severe obesity and metabolic abnormalities (often with type 2 diabetes) low total T can be accompanied ...