Endocrine Abstracts

Background and aims: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) requires daily self-management to mimic endocrine function, using numerical skills such as carbohydrate counting and interpreting nutritional information. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) rely on effective communication to relay information to people with T1DM to enable good self-care. Curricula for diabetes self-management education (DSME) courses require high-school level numerical skills. Eighty percent of adults in the Un...

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an important co-morbidity of pregnancy, with insulin resistance a key contributor in its underlying pathology. Relaxin is a hormone considered crucial for mediating adaptations deemed vital for maintenance of pregnancy. Evidence has suggested that levels of plasma relaxin may be positively correlated with insulin sensitivity. This led us to hypothesize that relaxin may play a role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in...

Recently updated international guidelines recommend specialist surveillance of adults with Turner Syndrome (TS). In 2005, we established a dedicated TS clinic, attracting referrals from our general endocrine service and other specialities including primary care.Twenty-three patients currently attend of whom 9 were previously under endocrinology review. Karyotypes include 45XO (8/23), 45XO/46XrX (4/23), and 45XO/46XiXq (3/23). Mean (±S.D.</sma...

Case history: A 26-year-old lady presented with a two-week history of weakness associated with pins and needles affecting the lateral calf and dorsomedial aspect of her left foot. The patient denied any trauma or symptoms including weight loss. She had no drug allergies and was taking no regular medications. She had a vegan diet supplemented with multivitamins. Her past medical and family history was unremarkable. On examination, she had a narrow-based high-steppage-gait. Lowe...

Background: The route of oestrogen replacement has an influence on GH sensitivity in hypopituitary women, although the practical relevance of this effect remains unclear.Objectives: To compare the effects of oral and transdermal oestrogen replacement on GH requirement in adult females with hypopituitarism receiving GH replacement.Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study included 69 GH-deficient women each receiving a stab...

Controversy exists as to the role of adrenal venous sampling in the assessment of primary aldosteronism (PA). There is no consensus as to how best to define successful outcome post resection of aldosterone producing adenoma (APA). We performed a retrospective analysis of the outcome of patients following unilateral adrenalectomy without pre-operative venous sampling. The study included 14 patients (9 males; mean age 47 yrs (r: 38–59 yrs) with PA and CT identified u...

No guidelines exist for the management of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) in adults. With no ideal glucocorticoid regimen to replicate normal physiology, best practice remains unclear. Concerns have been raised regarding overtreatment, particularly with longer acting steroids, and potential adverse effects on body composition and bone mineral density (BMD).We examined the case records of all 35 patients currently under review in our unit. Mean±...