Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: For years we have used data downloaded from blood glucose meters (BGM) in our diabetes clinic as an aid for discussion and management. Unfortunately allowing free choice of BGM needs several different download programmes and cables, introducing unnecessary complexity and delay. DIASEND® developed by the Swedish company Aidera AB represents a possible solution.Methods: DIASEND® combines hardware and software with a secure internet ...

One of the fundamental mysteries of biology has been the genetic control of puberty in the human. High degrees of species specificity in the control of GnRH secretion, the central actor in sexual maturation, and the rarity of a discrete period of childhood quiescence independent of suckling in most animals have compounded this problem.The clinical condition of Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, either with normosmia (nIHH)) or with anosmia (Kallma...

Soy and red clover extracts contain high concentrations of isoflavones, particularly of genistein, which bind to both estrogen receptors α and ß (ERα and ERß). Lifelong nutrition rich in soy proteins or soy protein isolates appear to exert positive effects on certain health aspects including the development of mammary cancer but the beneficial effects become questionable when soy/isoflavone-rich nutrition starts in later adult life. Stimulatory effects on m...

Intact PTH [PTH(1–84)] measurements separate hypercalcaemic patients into 1) a parathyroid cause (usually 1°HPT) from 2) non-parathyroid causes (usually hypercalcaemia of malignancy). Improved sensitivity increases confidence in diagnosing hypoparathyroidism. PTH RIAs had problems with C-terminal PTH fragments and in renal failure circulating PTH (35–84) persists for hours giving high RIA PTH. Intact PTH is retained in renal failure and this resulted in new ap...

Prevention of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) might become feasible in the future.Preventive intervention requires accurate prediction. AITD frequently runs in families, and twin studies have shown that genes contribute to a large extent to the risk of Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH) and Hashimoto's hypothyroidism (HH). However, CTLA-4 and HLA genes confer only a small risk, and the nature of the polygenetic background remains largely unknown. The impact of environmental factor...

Wylie Vale, Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, California, USA Abstract Wylie Vale is the Helen McLoraine Professor of Molecular Neurobiology and Head of the Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he is currently Chair of the Faculty. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the Un...

As non-invasive imaging techniques, such as sonography, become more and more available, there is a growing incidence of diagnosing of non-fuctioning adrenal tumors. They are usually called adrenal incidentalomas due to absence of any evident clinical manifestations. Adrenal incidentalomas are found in 2-8% population. Although generally non-funtioning, those tumors may secrete abundant quantities of steroid hormones and thus evoke glucose intolerance, lipid disorders, thromboe...

The diagnosis of primary aldosteronism results in either the surgical cure of hypertension or targeted pharmacotherapy. The two major subtypes of primary aldosteronism are unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and bilateral idiopathic hyperplasia (IHA). Patients with APA are usually treated with unilateral adrenalectomy, and patients with IHA are treated medically. Most patients with primary aldosteronism have IHA and require pharmacotherapy. Because of the recent rec...

Erectile failure is a common yet often neglected complication of diabetes that may have a significant negative effect on quality of life and diabetes self-care. I would initially try to ensure a good ascertainment rate of the problem in men attending the diabetes service. I would encourage, though usually fail to persuade men to attend with their partners. I would ascertain the exact nature of the problem, the likely cause, the importance of the problem to the man, the nature ...

Childhood onset Type 2 diabetes mellitus is appearing in Asia. Sadly, the risk factors appear to be obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes and IUGR. Comorbidities include abnormal lipid profiles, steatohepatitis, hypertension for age and obstructive sleep apnoeaModalities of treatment include diet, exercise, insulin, metformin, and sulphonylureas and more recently, the use of insulin sens...