Endocrinology

Chemicals used many years ago still present issues for the environment today. The secret, according to a recent study, is learning from those lessons to ensure a better future for generations to come.

Man's best friend is being used for many things in the medical arena, from detecting low blood sugar to helping visually impaired patients get around in their daily life. In the near future, the furry friends could have even more uses particularly in the field of oncology.

With many of the most dangerous endocrine interruptors long since out of use, the question of how to ensure the health of future generations becomes an important discussion.

Researchers reported no association between endogenous testosterone and incident stroke and ischemic changes in men evaluated via brain MRI imaging.

Study results presented at ENDO 2015 suggest that some risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease are regulated by testosterone and estradiol, others (such as changes in LDL cholesterol and blood pressure) are not.

Researchers report that weight loss and increases in bone turnover were greater after one year among patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass compared to patients who had laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedures.

When a 45-year-old patient came to the emergency room with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, there could have been any number of diagnoses that needed treatment. In the end, reading an insert in a new medication made all the difference in her recovery.

Due to allergy concerns and changing dietary habits, children (particularly adolescents) are consuming fewer nuts. Some researchers are concerned that the lack of this key food could contribute to other health issues later in life.

Using a variety of tests, researchers were able to find a link between the exposure to phthalates and flame retardants and autism in children.

There are many possible approaches to helping overweight and obese patients. A recent study suggests one possible approach in this work could be mindfulness-based stress reduction.

There are many ways to approach the problem of obesity. One new option is group therapy, bringing together many facets of treatment.

Testosterone is not significantly associated with bone mineral density or fracture risk. Estrone, however, may have a role in bone health and fracture prevention in postmenopausal women.

Study results show teriparatide therapy results in changes to bone microarchitecture that, although not associated with decreased estimated bone strength, have an unknown effect on fracture risk.

Long-term denosumab therapy was associated with better outcomes compared to calcium and vitamin D supplementation alone in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

One of the major concerns of people considering quitting smoking is whether they will gain weight. A new study has shown that may not need to be a concern and that the overall benefits to their health can outweigh the risks.

For many years expectant mothers have been told to avoid smoking. A new study reinforces those lessons and also shows the potential complications of secondhand smoke.

There are many factors that go into determining a child's IQ but a recent study determined that the health of a mother's thyroid could play at least a small part in that overall process.

Research recently published in JAMA suggested physicians working to control older diabetics' glycemic levels were actually over treating them.

As more diabetes drugs hit the market there are natural safety questions that come with these prescriptions. In recent years the US Food and Drug Administration has worked to increase the steps taken to ensure the safety of these drugs.

Bariatric surgery has been shown to reduce the long-term risk of diabetes-associated vascular disease in obese patients. According to study results presented at ENDO 2015, bariatric surgery reduced the risk of developing macrovascular events by 20% and reduced the risk of microvascular events by 50%.

Analysis indicates that current measures may underestimate predicted adult height in obese girls, and overestimate predicted adult height in obese boys.

In overweight and obese individuals without diabetes, liraglutide 3.0 mg as an adjunct to diet and exercise was associated with greater reductions in fasting and postprandial glucose compared with diet and exercise alone.

Study results show that patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery experienced greater and more rapid weight loss at 12- and 24 months post-surgery compared to patients who received the sleeve gastrectomy procedure. GB patients also experienced a larger decrease in hemoglobin within the first two months post-surgery and a sustained decrease in creatinine.

For mothers expecting a girl, research suggested consuming large quantities of folic acid (FA) increases the risk of obesity and diabetes in their child.

Lowering the blood pressure (BP) of patients with type 2 diabetes was found to improve mortality results and lowered the probability of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and heart disease events.

A veteran in the field of medicine gets a bird's eye view of life from the patient's perspective

Deaths and infections traced to duodenoscopes contaminated with carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae infections are on the rise. The ECRI Institute, a nonprofit research and testing lab, today put out a "high priority hazard report" on procedures for cleaning the devices. It isn't easy.

Manufacturers of prescription testosterone products must change their drug labels to include a warning about increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. The labeling change, announced today by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addresses the use of testosterone by men whose decreased level of the hormone is due to aging.

Researchers from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of California, San Francisco analyzed the impact of virtual consultations on the spectrum and volume of endocrine consults. They measured access to endocrine care and downstream health care utilization. Their results indicate that virtual consultation offers many advantages for endocrinologists.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys all or part of its own roughly 1 billion β cells and cannot regenerate these critical endocrine components. Researchers have turned their attention to immunotherapies for treatment, postulating that targeting the immune system might restore β-cell function. It appears that combination therapies may be needed since clinical trial results have not met expectations based on animal studies.