US ENDOCRINOLOGY – VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 – SUMMER 2011

Welcome to the latest edition of US Endocrinology. This edition puts a spotlight on cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes and other endocrine disorders, as well as including a selection of topical papers on several other important subjects of relevance to our endocrinology community.

The Blow Up—A Meta-analysis by Nissen and Wolski

Individuals with diabetes have twice the incident myocardial infarction (MI) rate as the general population, and survival rates are lower among individuals with diabetes once they have an adverse cardiovascular event.1 Women with diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), regardless of menopausal status, have a four- to sixfold increase in the risk of developing CVD, whereas […]

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative process affecting large- and medium-caliber arteries, such as aorta, coronary, carotid, renal, and femoral arteries. The atherosclerotic lesion, or plaque, is a complex tissue dissecting the subendothelial layer and expanding first outwardly and eventually toward the lumen, causing occlusions ranging from minimal to complete. Ischemic consequences of plaque growth represent the […]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death globally and was the leading cause of death in both men and women ≥65 years of age in the US in 2007.1,2 In 2004 alone, an estimated 17.1 million people died from CVD, representing approximately 29 % of deaths worldwide.2 Of these deaths, an estimated […]

In association with the global spread of abdominal adiposity, the worldwide prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to increase.1 This is one of the pivotal factors underscoring the projection that cardiovascular disease will become the leading cause of mortality worldwide by 2020. Diabetes is associated with an adverse clinical outcome in individuals with and without […]

Hypertension and Diabetes The Size of the Problem

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adults is characterised by alterations in body composition, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, bone mineral density, cardiovascular risk profile and quality of life.1 Treatment with GH replacement has been shown to improve some, but not all, of these abnormalities.2 In contrast, untreated GHD is associated with increased morbidity and mortality that […]

Thyroid Hormone and its Receptors The thyroid gland secretes two forms of thyroid hormone: T4 (3,3’,5,5’-tetraiodo-L-thyronine, thyroxine) and T3 (3,3’,5-triiodo-Lthyronine). While T4 has little biological activity and is considered a prohormone, T3 is the receptor-active form and exerts most of the thyroid hormone effects.1

Digestive Neuroendocrine Tumors Digestive neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoids) derive from serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells. The digestive neuroendocrine tumors are classified as: foregut—originating from the esophagus to the pancreas; midgut—‘classic’; presenting with the carcinoid syndrome that includes flushing, diarrhea and hypotension. They originate from the jejunum to the right colon and gonads; or hindgut—‘silent’; originating from the transverse […]

The ability of an organism to respond to stressful stimuli is fundamentally important to that organism’s continuing survival. Recognition of a stressor elicits a range of physiological changes that enable the organism to cope and to facilitate the restoration of homeostasis. Many of these physiological changes are mediated via activation of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis […]