Endocrine Abstracts

The number of people worldwide with diabetes is predicted to exceed 370 million by the year 2030. Over 90% of these will have type 2 diabetes with a twofold greater risk of heart disease and stroke than in the general population, and a reduction in life expectancy of five or more years.Type 2 diabetes is a condition of relative insulin deficiency. Insulin secretory responses to meal challenges are delayed and prolonged and, although fasting insulin level...

Glucocorticoids (GC) are commonly prescribed, but their use is associated with significant adverse metabolic and bone effects. 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) regenerates active GC within tissues, tightly controlling the availability of GC to bind and activate the GC receptor; Our preclinical data have shown that 11β-HSD1 knock out mice resist the adverse effects of exogenous GC excess. We have now conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo...