Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Adequate hormone replacement therapy in adrenal insufficiency (AI) is essential. Patients should have basic knowledge about their condition and how to minimise the change on an adrenal crisis. Education on how and when hydrocortisone replacement therapy should be adjusted together with instruction and practice an emergency injection are considered important measures to prevent a crisis. A nurse-led group-based education programme (GEP) was developed, and given fr...

Introduction: Adequate hormone replacement therapy in adrenal insufficiency is essential. Patients should have basic knowledge about their condition and what to do in situations which could trigger an adrenal crisis. Education on how and when hydrocortisone replacement therapy should be adjusted as well as instruction and practice an emergency injection are considered important measures to prevent an adrenal crisis. A standardized nurse-led group-based education programme (GEP...

Introduction: Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have hypothalamic dysfunction, with deficiencies of several hypothalamic-pituitary axes. Prevalence of central hypogonadism, hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency are increased in comparison with non-PWS individuals. Central adrenal insufficiency (CAI) has also been reported in PWS. Several studies, using different testing modalities, have reported strikingly differing prevalences of CAI in PWS, ranging from 0% ...

Introduction: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex hypothalamic disorder, combining hypotonia, intellectual disability (ID), pituitary hormone deficiencies and hyperphagia. In PWS, up to 3% of patients die every year. In half of the patients, the cause of death is obesity related and / or of cardiovascular origin. Obesity is caused by hyperphagia combined with a low energy expenditure. Untreated hormone deficiencies like hypogonadism and hypothyroidism can cause low muscle...

Introduction: A yearly mortality rate of 4% among young adult patients is unacceptable in any patient population. Nevertheless, in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), up to 4% of young patients die every year and this situation has been going on for decades. PWS is a complex hypothalamic disorder, combining hypotonia, intellectual disability (ID), pituitary hormone deficiencies and hyperphagia. Due to this lack of satiety, patients can literally eat themselves to death: overeating ca...

Introduction: Growth hormone (GH) is not only important for growth during childhood. Also, for (young) adults, growth hormone is important for bone mass, muscle strength and metabolism. GH deficiency (GHD) is a condition that can cause a broad range of adult health issues, if left untreated. Therefore on one hand, it is important to confirm and treat GHD after transfer to adult care. On the other hand, the personal and financial burden of unnecessary growth hormone in...