Endocrine Abstracts

Rationale, aims and objectivesThe GHRH/Arginine and Short Synacthen Tests (SST) have been validated as safer alternatives to the Insulin Tolerance Test for the assessment of the growth hormone reserve and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis integrity, respectively. However, these two tests are performed separately. The objective of this study was to see whether the synacthen and GHRH/Arginine tests could be combined to save time, blood samples and minimi...

Background: A basic tenet for hormone replacement is to replicate physiology but this is rarely if ever achieved. The adrenal glucocorticoid, cortisol, has a distinct circadian rhythm regulated by the brain’s central pacemaker. Loss of the cortisol circadian rhythm is associated with metabolic abnormalities, depression, fatigue and a poor health-related quality of life. Based on pharmacokinetic modelling we have developed a modified-release hydrocortisone (MR-HC) and test...