Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: ‘Primary Aldosteronism Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines’ from the Endocrine Society (2008) recommend the use of the aldosterone- renin ratio (ARR) to detect primary aldosteronism (PA) in patient groups with high prevalence of PA. The guidelines suggest cut-offs specific to assay type and measurement units. The department of Clinical Chemistry and Metabolic Medicine at RLBUHT recently moved to a direct renin method (iSYS, Immunodiagnostics) ...

Normal ageing is accompanied by increased organismal frailty, reflecting organ specific functional decline, with an associated increase in the likelihood of disease. The immune system undergoes significant decline with age, termed immunesenescence, which results in increased susceptibility to infection and reduced vaccination responses. Significant changes in the hormonal milieu also occur with age and it is clear that age-related changes in adrenal hormone secretion can impos...