Endocrine Abstracts

Before the availability of glucocorticoids as drugs, the majority of patients with primary adrenal insufficiency (AI) died within 2 years of diagnosis. Today patients with AI receive life-long replacement therapy with glucocorticoids with the assumption that life expectancy is normal. Recent studies have, however, shown excess mortality in patients with both primary and secondary AI mainly due to cardiovascular diseases and infections. Patients with AI also have increased rate...

Background: Patient’s with Addison’s disease (AD) have increased morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular disease is considered the leading cause of death. The aim was to study cardiovascular risk factors in patients with AD.Methods: In a single-centre, case–ontrol study 78 patients (52 women) with AD were compared to 78 controls, matched for gender, age, BMI, and smoking habits. Serum was collected in a fasting state for measurement of lip...

Background: Clinical features of acromegaly develop insidiously and the diagnosis is often delayed. However, diagnostic delay (DD) in acromegaly has not been systematically investigated. Our primary aim was to investigate DD in a nationwide cohort of patients with acromegaly. Secondary aim was to study the impact of DD on morbidity and mortality.Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with acromegaly between 2001 and 2013 were identified in the Swedish Nationa...

Novel biopharmaceutical techniques have allowed the development of a hydrocortisone modified release (MR) tablet (once-daily administration for replacement therapy in adrenal insufficiency) mimicking more closely the physiological serum cortisol profile. Robust bioavailability is needed to secure this new treatment safety.Aims: To compare single-dose pharmacokinetics (PK) of MR tablets manufactured at two different sites by assessing intra-subject variab...

Context: Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) have excess mortality and morbidity, mainly due to cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms for this is unclear.Objective: To assess cardiovascular structure and function in AI patients on conventional replacement therapy and after switching to once-daily, modified-release hydrocortisone (OD-HC).Methods: The analysis included 17 adult AI patients (11 with primary AI, 7 with secondary...

Objective: Patients who receive ≥5 mg prednisolone per day, for more than 2–3 weeks, are at risk of developing glucocorticoid (GC) induced adrenal insufficiency (tertiary adrenal insufficiency, 3° AI). The aim of this study was to a) determine the prevalence of GC use in doses that are associated with development of 3° AI, b) assess prescription pattern of short and long-term GC treatment in adults and children, and c) investigate the indication for the GC...

Background: Both prevalence and incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is increasing. T1DM is associated with other autoimmune diseases, such as Addison’s disease (AD). This combination is rare, with estimated prevalence in Norway 20 per million. Having both DM & AD is associated with marked excess mortality.Objectives: To study prevalence and incidence of AD among patients with and without T1DM.Methods: Nationwide, observati...

Volume 82, Issue 1, January 2015, Pages 2–11. DOI: 10.1111/cen.12603...

Introduction: Acromegaly is usually not a difficult condition to diagnose if the possibility of this diagnosis has been raised. However, there are a few conditions presenting with some aspects of acromegaly or gigantism but without growth hormone excess. Such cases are described as ‘pseudoacromegaly’ (acromegaloidism).Methods: A female patient was first investigated for GH excess at 10 y for tall stature since infancy (over 97th perc...

Introduction: Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) (primary (PAI), secondary to pituitary disease (PIT) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)) have reduced life expectancy with reported standardized mortality ratios of ~2:1 but given the rarity of AI, the underlying explanation remains largely unknown.Objective: To evaluate patient characteristics, prevalence of concomitant conditions and hospitalization incidence in patients with AI compared to a...