touchREVIEWS in Endocrinology Volume 19, Issue 2, 2023

Welcome to the latest edition of touchREVIEWS in Endocrinology. In this issue we feature a range of articles to keep you up to date with the latest discussions and developments in the field of medical endocrinology. We start with an expert interview from the Founder and CEO of the Global Liver Institute, Donna Cryer, who […]

Liver conditions are often misunderstood, mischaracterized and stigmatized, which results in under-diagnosis, under-treatment and unnecessarily poor outcomes worldwide. The Global Liver Institute (GLI) “Liver Health is Public Health” initiative aims to respond to this unmet need and educate the public about liver health and disease prevention. In this expert interview, Donna Cryer discusses the misconceptions that persist […]

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) consensus statement 2022 is a valuable addition that will help streamline type 2 diabetes mellitus management.1 The focus on individualized and person-centric care in the statement is welcome. The draft also acknowledges the significance of language, as it plays a decisive role in enhancing motivation and improving compliance.2 Promoting self-management […]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders marked by elevated blood glucose. It has many subtypes, including type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), gestational diabetes and neonatal diabetes; of these, T1DM and T2DM are the most common. Compared with T1DM, which is characterized by a chronic lack of insulin […]

Highlights Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is evaluated for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. Glycated haemoglobin reduction immediately after EECP therapy conclusion, after 2–4 weeks and after 7–12 weeks was -0.70%, 1.04% and 0.98%, respectively. EECP is associated with a significant lowering of blood pressure. EECP significantly lowers the levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a measure […]

The incidence of diabetes has increased in recent years, and advances in technology have allowed for multiple ways to predict the outcomes of patients with diabetes, and have improved quality of life and lowered morbidity and mortality.1 For decades, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) has been used as a marker of long-term glycaemic control, and its usefulness as […]

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease secondary to the destruction of the insulin-producing β cells of the islets of the pancreas. Environmental factors presumably trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals, leading to a lifetime dependency on exogenous insulin.1 The risk of T1DM in the general population is 0.4% but increases to 1–9% […]

Hypertension affects up to 40% of the adult population worldwide,1 and according to the World Health Organization’s 2021 estimates, globally 1.28 billion adults between 18 and 79 years are affected.2 Of these, 85% have essential hypertension3 and the remainder have secondary hypertension, which is potentially curable with timely diagnosis and treatment.3 The prevalence of secondary hypertension is around 50% […]

Pituitary tumours (PTs) are located in the sella turcica, which surrounds the adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis. PTs range from asymptomatic incidentalomas to symptomatic aggressive neoplasms, such as invasive neoplasms or pituitary carcinomas.1 Symptomatic lesions can be characterized either by hormonal overproduction or by dysregulation of hormone secretion, and in invasive lesions by tissue destruction and intracranial mass […]

Alopecia is a dermatological disorder characterized by hair loss from the scalp or body.1–3 It is one of the most common dermatological disorders worldwide and has several aetiologies, such as hereditary background, hormonal imbalance, infection or idiopathic causes.1,3,4 Alopecia can be classified into two main categories: scarring (or cicatricial) alopecia and non-scarring (non-cicatricial) alopecia (Figure 1).1–3 Scarring […]

Article highlights Lavender and tree tea oils have in vitro oestrogenic and antiandrogenic activity. It has been postulated that these oils may cause prepubertal gynaecomastia and premature thelarche. The association is based on a small number patients (N=12) described in five publications. Based upon the amount of dermal penetration of the oils or their constituents and the […]

During more than 30 years of clinical practice as a gynaecologist, I have observed that very few novel medications have had a significant impact in the field of women’s health. There have been additions to selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), variations of hormone therapies (HTs), contraceptives and more. However, nearly all of these are modifications of […]

Plan language summary Background The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increased incidence of infection with Black fungus (Mucormycosis). However, the disease characteristics, chances of spread of infection and complications are not well known. Aim of the study We tried to find out the exact reasons behind this rise in the number of cases, whether […]

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine neoplasm with an incidence of 0.5–2.0% of all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).1 It was first described in 1904 by de Quevain, when it was found in a patient presenting with a non-functioning parathyroid mass.2 Around 26 years later, Sainton and Millot described the first functioning parathyroid carcinoma.3 There is no […]