Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by fluctuating stiffness and rigidity in both axial and limb muscles. Stiff leg syndrome, an SPS variant mainly affecting limb muscles, is emerging as a distinct identity. The cause of SPS is unknown but an autoimmune pathogenesis is suspected. There are a few reported cases of hypopituitarism presenting with features suggestive of SPS.Case: A 66-year-old woman...

ObjectivesBoth glucose insulin potassium (GIK) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) may improve cardiovascular performance following cardiac surgery. The effects of combined treatment are unknown.MethodsAfter obtaining local research ethics committee approval, we performed a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial on patients undergoing first time elective/urgent isolated CABG. Between January 2000 ...

We conducted a prospective study of 5784 subjects aged 65 or over, screened and identified in primary care. The cohort comprised 2934 women, 2850 men, mean age 73.5 years (range 63.5-98.6). All had TSH measured in a sensitive assay (normal range 0.4-5.5 mU/l), as well as free T4 (normal range 9-20 pmol/l), and resting 12-lead ECG. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was present in 4.81% of the cohort. The prevalence of AF showed significant variation with serum TSH concentrations, being ...

Thyroid dysfunction is common, particularly in the elderly, and has an important impact on morbidity and mortality, especially in this age group.Aim: We have investigated associations between thyroid function, presence of atrial fibrillation and cognitive function in a large general practice-based study conducted from December 2002-November 2004. Subjects with a previous history of thyroid disease or currently taking thyroxine or anti-thyroid drugs were ...