Endocrinology

Recently released guidelines seek to provide clarity to the management of hyponatremia by outlining an evidence-based, patient-centered approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Although overall mortality related to breast cancer in women is declining, patients with locally advanced breast cancer still pose a challenge to oncologists.

Thomas Dayspring, MD, FACP, FNLA, NCMP, discusses the promises and pitfalls of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults.

Family physicians should place as great an emphasis on walking as they do on monitoring medication and laboratory data, and strongly recommend increased ambulatory activity to their patients.

At the beginning of Colon Cancer Awareness month, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network expanded its guidelines to include Lynch syndrome screening, which should dramatically increase the number of patients eligible for hereditary colon cancer testing.

One patient-centered medical home pilot was associated with improvement in only one of 11 quality areas and was not associated with reductions in hospital utilization or costs of care over 3 years.

Medical researchers have suggested that dairy products protect against metabolic syndrome (MetS), decreasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, altered glucose homeostasis, and dyslipidemia.

Significant weight loss can be a monumental step in a person's life, but one setback many patients face after massive weight loss is excess, sagging skin that will not vanish without surgical intervention.

Examining evidence from epidemiologic, clinical, and animal studies, a team of researchers discussed the connection between neural dysfunction and metabolic disorders related to type 2 diabetes in the February 2014 issue of Current Diabetes Reports.

Regular consumption of white fish may reduce the cholesterol concentration, waist circumference, and blood pressure components of metabolic syndrome.

Researchers identify several independent risk factors for the development of severe and/or symptomatic hyponatremia in patients on oxcarbazepine therapy.

The missing link between environmental and genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes suggests a new scientific approach is needed, which is where the emerging field of nutrigenetics comes into play.

Researchers associated with US Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers have examined the impact of group medical clinics on lipid control among patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

New study results suggest low levels of vitamin during the first trimester are a modest yet consistent and independent risk factor for developing gestational diabetes and are associated with insulin resistance at the second trimester.

A team of researchers have pinpointed the factors that influence endocrinologists' referral patterns for endocrine surgery.

While the dangers of influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia in patient with diabetes are well understood, less known is the fact that diabetics are at increased risk for contracting hepatitis B if they share blood glucose meters, finger stick devices, or other diabetes-care equipment.

Similar to its effect in non-diabetic patients with low testosterone, sildenafil citrate correlates with improvements in testosterone levels and erectile function among hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Study of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) in ultramarathon runners finds no relationship between the presence of cystic fibrosis gene and the development of EAH.

Recent research suggests low skeletal muscle mass is associated with increased endogenous insulin secretion, especially in patients aged older than 65 years.

Since obesity increases inflammation and changes metabolism, it has been strongly linked to many lifelong medical conditions.

The nutritionally skewed "Western" diet relies on processed foods that foster obesity and may even promote autoimmune diseases.

With a focus on how obesity affects the lungs, a team of researchers examines insulin's direct impact on lung cells in the context of airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness.

A recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association includes a picture series that is a must-see for physicians who treat patients with diabetes.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested clinical trial data from the manufacturer of saxagliptin to investigate the diabetes drug's potential association with heart failure (HF).

A proverb assessment modeling study compares the theoretical influence of a statin a day versus an apple a day on the primary prevention of vascular disease.

Meta-analysis of clinical trial data on the use of antidepressants and anticonvulsants for the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy indicates gabapentin is the most efficacious agent for this condition, while the side effects associated with amitriptyline make it the least tolerable treatment option evaluated in the study.

While tamoxifen and raloxifene reduce the incidence of invasive breast cancer and fractures, they also increase the risk of deep venous thrombosis, cataracts, and uterine cancer.

Though laypeople are sensitized to associating "radioactive" with "cancer," this is an unwarranted fear when considering radioactive iodine ablation for hyperthyroidism.

Consuming 3 weekly servings of certain whole fruits lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes development, though fruit juice consumption can increase that risk.

Hyponatremia must be managed with care, especially in patients with chronic severe illness, due to the unpredictable nature of tolvaptan to raise serum sodium levels.