Endocrine Abstracts

IntroductionThe oral 11β-hydroxylase inhibitor, osilodrostat, normalized mean urinary free cortisol (mUFC) in 79% (15/19) of patients with Cushing’s disease at the end of the 22-week core LINC 2 study. Long-term efficacy and safety data following an optional extension phase are reported here.MethodsPatients with clinical benefit at week 22 could continue receiving osilodrostat during the extension; ...

Coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19) is associated with a variable clinical syndrome, ranging from a mild-moderate to a severe disease, progressing towards acute respiratory distress syndrome. Hypocortisolism is associated with a depletion of innate immunity and disruption of immune response, which could contribute to an increased risk of infection and development of a severe disease. Glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy(GCRT), especially if administere...

Background: Testosterone (T) is essential for bone health during all ages, helping to achieve a proper peak bone mass and, later, to maintain bone density and strength. Guidelines on management of male osteoporosis recommend testosterone replacement in young-adult hypogonadal to prevent bone loss and anti-resorbitive drugs in case of high fracture risk, but the role of T replacement therapy (TRT) alone in subjects with late onset hypogonadism is still the object of an intense ...

In the last years an increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has been reported in young adults (18-45 yrs), probably accounted by the significant increase in CV risk (CVR) factors. Observational and interventional studies, mainly focused on middle-aged and elderly men, demonstrated that metabolic CVR (mCVR) factors and CVD manifestations are common in hypogonadal men and, conversely, testosterone deficiency is highly prevalent in metabolic disorders; the lack of ...

Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ releasing adipokines and expressing specific markers and intracellular mediators, which regulate whole-body energy by balancing lipid accumulation and utilization through adipogenesis, the differentiation of preadipocytes into mature adipocytes associated with gradual lipid storage, and lipogenesis, the additional lipid accumulation in mature adipocytes. Adipogenesis and lipogenesis, strongly induced by insulin, occur in white adipocytes, s...

Sleep apnea (SA) is a common acromegaly comorbidity, influencing patients’ quality of life and mortality risk. Despite its importance, SA frequently remains undiagnosed, and its real prevalence seems to be underestimated. The current observational study aimed at investigating the role of Berlin questionnaire (BQ) and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) in assessing the risk of SA in this high-risk population, and to compare the results with an age-and gender-matched health coh...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by menstrual irregularities and clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism, and is associated with insulin resistance, visceral obesity and metabolic disorders. The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of inositol isomers (INO) and metformin (MET) on the clinical, metabolic and hormonal aspects of PCOS. In 94 PCOS women, clinical (weight, BMI, waist circumference - WC, menstrual intervals, Ferriman-Gallway score -...

Introduction: Cardiac abnormalities are common in patients with acromegaly and contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality of the disease. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the established, non-invasive gold standard for measuring morpho-functional changes of the heart. We aimed to detect cardiac alterations in patients with acromegaly through CMR and to identify potential risk factors associated with cardiac impairment.Materials and methods: T...

Background: There have been conflicting reports on fertility, reproduction rates and pregnancy outcomes in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Identification of potential modifiable influential factors of pregnancy outcomes in these women has been hampered in the past by either small sample sizes or data derived from epidemiological samples.Methods: Retrospective multi-center study including a total number of 72 women with CAH (n=34...

Obesity, characterized by an abnormal body fat accumulation mainly caused by a chronic imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, is a massive public health problem. Targeting excessive fat deposition in adipose tissue and ectopic fat accumulation in skeletal muscle through promoting lipid oxidation pathway may represent a promising strategy to counteract obesity. This study aims at investigating the effects of cabergoline (CAB), a dopamine agonist, on adipose and skelet...