Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease with a chronic and relapsing nature, and is associated with over 200 co-morbidities. In a minority of patients, the obesity is caused by gene defects in the leptin-melanocortin pathway. As lifestyle interventions often fail in these patients, additional anti-obesity pharmacotherapy is needed. In this case report, we describe the therapeutic journey of a patient with early-onset obesity and hyperphagia due to heteroz...

Background: Mounting evidence points to an association between increased glucocorticoid (GC) action and weight gain. However, the response to GCs is not only determined by GC serum concentrations, but also by individual differences in tissue-specific sensitivity, influenced by genetic and acquired (e.g. disease-related) factors. The extent to which differences in GC sensitivity may influence development of (abdominal) obesity, or vice versa, is poorly understood. In this study...

Background: Obesity (BMI< 30 kg/m2) is a chronic and progressive disease, that is associated with many co-morbidities such as cardiovascular and psychiatric diseases, cancer, and arthritis. Lifestyle interventions are the cornerstone of obesity treatment, but when ineffective, anti-obesity pharmacotherapy could be added. In recent years, several anti-obesity agents have been approved, such as the glucagon-like peptide -1 (GLP-1) analogue liraglutide. Liraglutide...

Introduction: Corticosteroids are amongst the most prescribed drugs and their use has been linked to cardiometabolic adverse events including weight gain and abdominal adiposity. We previously showed that users were also more likely to have the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Since an essential role in the pathway of glucocorticoid (GC) action is reserved for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), it could be proposed that GC sensitivity altering polymorphisms could affect the vulnerabi...

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is still increasing and is accompanied by significant health problems. High exposure to glucocorticoids, including the stress hormone cortisol, has been suggested to play a role in the development of obesity and associated cardiometabolic derangements. We previously showed that obese persons are exposed to high long-term cortisol levels as measured in scalp hair. It is not known whether these elevated cortisol levels decrease with weight...

IntroductionAltered levels of hormonal appetite regulators have been observed in obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2), most prominently increases of insulin and leptin (indicating resistance) as well as decreases of adiponectin–all of which are long-term energy regulators and adiposity signals. Disrupted signaling of these hormones may have detrimental effects on metabolism, but may also promote weight gain. Weight loss is often accompanied ...

Background: Altered signaling of hormones regulating appetite and metabolism is often observed in individuals with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and related diseases, potentially resulting in increased hunger signaling and metabolic dysfunctions. Previous research indicates that such disturbances may be induced by weight gain itself, but also by other factors such as glucocorticoid excess (e.g. due to stress). However, knowledge regarding the associations between h...

Background: Obesity (BMI ≤ 30 kg/m2) is a chronic and relapsing disease, associated with numerous co-morbidities. Lifestyle intervention is the cornerstone of treatment of obesity, and is considered effective when weight loss of ≤ 5% is achieved. Here, we describe changes in physiological, psychological and behavioral health outcomes in response to a multidisciplinary combined lifestyle intervention (CLI).MethodsIn this longitudinal study we evaluated 97...

Background: Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is caused by overproduction of cortisol. Current first-line screening tests for CS can produce false positive results due to medication use and stress, rely heavily on patient adherence to sampling instructions, and only measure short-term cortisol exposure which limits sensitivity. In general multiple tests are required to establish a diagnosis. Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) offer a minimally invasive way to measure lon...

Background: Childhood obesity is an increasing health problem, affecting over 40 million children aged 0–5 years worldwide. It is associated with premature onset of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Pathologically elevated cortisol is known to induce obesity and cardio-metabolic complications, suggesting cortisol is implicated in the onset of obesity. Indeed, recent pilot-studies showed an increase in hair cortisol concentrations in obese adults and adoles...