Endocrinology

The progression of aging can be tracked – and even slowed – by a blood test that can also possibly detect early warning signs of more serious illnesses.

With so many changes in the health care industry, the days of doctors running solo practices in their hometowns seem to be ending as more physicians opt for employment with large health care systems.

In the wake of Joan Rivers' untimely death last year, ambulatory surgery centers have come under increased scrutiny. Several recent articles in the literature look at this complicated area of surgical practice.

Liraglutide 3 mg (Saxenda) is approved for use in adults with BMI >30 or with BMI >27 and one significant obesity-related condition.

The incidence and mortality of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, are both on the rise. Globally, the disease is responsible for 227,000 deaths annually. Researchers from the National Taiwan University College of Medicine recently published a meta-analysis that demonstrated a dose-response relationship between fasting blood glucose levels and pancreatic cancer risk. They also examined the link between prediabetes and pancreatic cancer risk.

Researchers at the University of Missouri and the National Research Council in Padova, Italy, recently investigated the role that timing of resistance exercise plays in lowering cardiovascular risk. They wondered if the time of day when diabetics exercise could explain the lower-than-expected exercise-derived benefits seen in some diabetics.

There is no difference in bone mineral density loss among pre- and postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research from the Babol University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

A recent meta-analysis found that patients treated with a combination of a GLP-1 agonist and basal insulin had a significantly greater A1c reduction than patients on any other treatment regimen.

Endo Tools, Endo Pubs, Glooko--just a few of the mobile apps described here, all designed specifically for the clinical endocrinologist.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the approval of a device to help treat patients with obesity.

Researchers in Scotland have shown that while diabetes is a growing problem for that country's population, patients diagnosed with the condition are living considerably longer than they would have in the past. This is particularly true for patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

New research indicates that an over-the-counter supplement doesn't raise testosterone levels but a widely used class of prescription drug may lower them.

Tuberculosis (TB) kills 1.43 million people annually. Effective TB treatment is challenging, due to the mycobacterial cell wall's unusual structure and chemical composition -- the wall repels drugs efficiently and renders many antibiotics ineffective. An article in Science Translational Medicine describes a drug that may have potential to alter host response to TB: the antidiabetic agent metformin.

There have been some disappointing studies and contradictory recommendations on using statins to treat stroke. HCPLive's Gale Scott interviewed Koto Ishida, MD, medical director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Stroke Care Center, about the implications for clinicians.

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) can exist with or without neuropathic pain. Roughly half of patients with types I and II diabetes mellitus (DM) develop DPN. In type 1 DM, patients start to notice symptoms of distal polyneuropathy after many years of chronic prolonged hyperglycemia. It's more aggressive in type 2 DM, and can develop after only a few years of known poor glycemic control and may be present at diagnosis.

According to a recent study, one common tick-borne disease can raise the chances of people catching other less common conditions.

With a new year comes New Year's resolutions, many of which involve getting healthy in the year ahead. A recent study has shown that by keeping those resolutions people can not only lose the weight they want but also avoid other health issues like diabetes.

Obesity and physical activity have become a focus of the healthcare community in the recent past and that was no exception in 2014. Over the past 12 months we have highlighted advancements in the treatment, diagnosis and impact of diabetes on our daily lives. Here is a look at the top 10 stories from the year.

The identification of a gene mutation could provide an added boost to the research into treatments for conditions like Cushing's syndrome, according to a recent European study.

As many as 15% of diabetics may be misdiagnosed with simple diabetes mellitus (DM) types 1 or 2. But DM presents as more than 50 unique types, and even among correctly diagnosed type 2 patients, 60 predisposing genetic variants exist.

Saxenda (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection) 3 mg has been approved as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in obese and overweight adults who have at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Around 10% of elders experience some form of elder abuse (physical, sexual or emotional abuse; neglect, exploitation, or abandonment), and elders who are abused appear to have a high level of comorbidity. Evidence suggests that patients who have experienced elder abuse are at higher risk of cardiovascular-related mortality.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) published a 2013 guideline addressing the number of embryos to transfer. Its guideline relied on empiric data to individualize patient care while minimizing the risk of high-order multiple births.

Eating a low carbohydrate diet compared to a low fat diet leads to greater loss of weight as well as a significant reduction in Framingham Risk Score.

A new analysis of Medicare data has found that prostate cancer patients who use testosterone replacement therapy live just as long as those who don't and do not have greater need for androgen deprivation therapy.

A new study has given some doubt to the long-held belief that patients with type 1 diabetes no longer produce insulin even long after their diagnosis.

For children with Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) - an inherited condition defined by low red blood cell counts and limited progenitor cells in the bone marrow - growth hormone (GH) therapy was found to increase the short stature of patients - a symptom not widely analyzed.

Research has shown that probiotics may help improve insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and metabolic defects associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

An article published recently in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice reviews the mechanisms by which microalbuminuria causes renal and cardiovascular disease. The authors also describe appropriate interventions.