Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Echocardiographic studies in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) suggest that up to half of patients have left ventricular dysfunction and an increased risk of congestive heart failure that improve after parathyroidectomy. The cardiac hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is an independent risk marker for heart failure.Methods: Prospective cohort study of consecutive unselected patients with biochemical diagnosis of PHPT. Pl...

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the commonest cause of secondary hypertension. Reported prevalence is about 30% in hypertensive population. Success of screening for PA in general practice (GP) is unknown. Expected challenges include laboratory access, transport issues and interfering medications.Aims: We aimed to report prevalence of PA in a large primary care cohort, the correlation between GP and in-hospital ARR and to assess if a change in r...

Introduction: The incidence of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD) post pituitary surgery is estimated at 3-20% with the condition potentially leading to significant morbidity and prolonged admission. Copeptin, a surrogate marker for vasopressin activity, has been shown to be a diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of AVP deficiency (formerly known as diabetes insipidus) post pituitary surgery. There is limited data regarding the utility of copeptin in predicting SIAD...

Background: Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a recognised complication of pituitary surgery, with current diagnosis requiring clinical observation aided by plasma and urine electrolytes and osmolalities. Copeptin, a 39 amino acid glycopeptide secreted in equimolar quantities to ADH, is a stable surrogate marker of ADH release and has potential to facilitate prompt diagnosis of post-operative DI. This assay has been shown to accurately predict which patients are likely to develop DI ...

The onset of human lactation is characterised by increased breast fullness and the start of copious milk secretion. The process, which typically occurs 1-4 days postpartum, is triggered by a decrease in serum progesterone and high prolactin concentrations, although the exact levels are ill-defined. We aim to establish reference intervals for hormones triggering the onset of sustained lactation and understand how breastfeeding influences hormone secretion, so as to improve the ...