Endocrinology

SARS-CoV-2 affects renal function, and some patients have been known to develop acute kidney injury (AKI). Kidney patients are also at greater risk from coronavirus.  On June 5 at 3.30 pm CEST, experts will convene in a special online Zoom session of the ERA-EDTA (European Renal Association and European Dialysis and Transplant Association). to discuss the relationship between coronavirus and kidney function.

This week I spoke with Endocrinologist Harold Bays, where we discuss the problem of obesity, and the challenges of working with obese and diabetic patients to help manage their weight and stay healthy. Dr. Bays is the director of the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center, as well as an expert in obesity and lipid medicine, and has some great insights for both clinicians and patients alike.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that when testing for the coronavirus, the chance of a false negative result is greater than 1 in 5 and, at times, far higher. The researchers caution that the predictive value of these tests may not always yield accurate results, and timing of the test seems to matter greatly in the accuracy.

The findings emphasize the need to have a healthy diet and lifestyle before pregnancy.

Intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting, and other forms of periodic caloric restriction are beneficial to maintain a  healthy body weight and have gained popularity during the last few years.  In response to fasting, cells use autophagy, a cellular self-recycling process, but little is known about how caloric restriction affects this process.  New research published in the journal Cell Reports, describes the proteins cells use to activate the expression of autophagy genes.

Asthmatic infants often suffer from other comorbidities throughout their lives.

New data found an 18-year-old female patient developed subacute thyroiditis following a COVID-19 infection.

There is a significant and consistent association between pregnancy loss and later type 2 diabetes.

Patients with OSA during REM sleep experience lower oxygen saturation and longer times with oxygen saturation.

Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea were more frequently male, obese, and had more coronary heart disease when compared to those without OSA.

Babies under 12 months of age exposed to antibiotics are at higher risk for developing childhood obesity according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

A recent study shows that diabetes can be well managed with telehealth visits.

In a pair of Canadian cohorts, investigators discover asthmatic children are older on the epigenetic clock.

In a study of 578 infants, investigators discover more female infants suffered from OSA.

Two colleagues from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine discuss the promise of AI to detect diabetic retinopathy.

New research suggests there may be a link between elevated fasting blood glucose levels and cognitive decline after a stroke.

A recent metanalysis by researchers from Trinity College Dublin indicates an association between low circulating levels of vitamin D and mortality from COVID-19, and has doctors calling the government to increase the recommended daily intake for vitamin D across the continent.

Computer learning algorithms can now learn to distinguish different types of blood clots based on what caused them, says a new study.

Obesity, type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure may prematurely age arteries , according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers from the Mount Sinai COVID Informatics Center report improved survival rates in COVID patients treated with anticoagulants.  Results of the study demonstrated that hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with anticoagulants had improved outcomes both in and out of the intensive care unit setting, without a significant difference in bleeding.

New research suggests the prevalence of depression and anxiety is greater among patients with diabetic retinopathy.

A 25-year-old female visited her primary care physician complaining about weight gain over the past 2 and a half months. She has not had any changes with diet or exercise, yet she has gained 10 pounds. She also has had chronic fatigue over this period and has recurring constipation. Her skin appears pale and she mentions feeling extreme cold sensitivity, even when the temperature of a room feels fine to others.

It has been suggested that the human body has an intrinsic weight sensor that functions as part of energy homeostasis.  Information about body weight is used to drive caloric intake and metabolic expenditure with the goal of maintaining body weight at a specific set point, however little is known about how such a sensor might function. In a recent paper, published in the journal EClinicalMedicine researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have devised a method to investigate this system they have dubbed the “graviostat,” using weighted vests.

The findings can lead to new interventions to prevent the development of diabetes in older men.

New research suggests severe sleep apnea was linked to increased blood glucose levels in African-Americans.

ABG-023 overcomes the limitations glucagon because it remains stable in solutions.

New findings comparing 3 decades of newly approved indications show the proportion of new approvals being supported by just 1 pivotal trial has quadrupled.

Obesity-related conditions seem to worsen the effect of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that people with heart disease and diabetes are at higher risk of COVID-19 complications, and the World Obesity Organization predicts that a large percentage of patiients with the coronavirus will have a BMI over 25.  Many aspects of patient management can be more difficult in the obese patient, including diagnostic imaging, intubation, positioning, and transport, making it more important than ever for patients and their physicians to prioritize weight management strategies.

Overweight, hypertensive patients who enrolled in a self-administered, internet-based health management program had better outcomes than patients who did not join the program, according to recent study findings.

In an effort to settle the debate surrounding the use of ACE inhibitors (ACEI) and ARBs during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, investigators from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, recently launched a new clinical trial.  The REPLACE COVID trial plans to recruit 152 hospitalized patients already taking medications from the classes, with the goal of determining whether discontinuing use affects the severity of disease symptoms.