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Elevated levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) in conditions such as acromegaly have been implicated in increased cardiovascular risk. The authors of this Viewpoint argue, however, that hormone deficiency might pose a greater risk than hormone excess, and ask the question—what levels of GH and IGF1 can be considered 'safe'?
Osteoporosis is an increasingly prevalent condition that, currently, is underdiagnosed and thus undertreated, so that improved screening and preventative dietary and lifestyle changes are needed. For more-severe cases, there are also several drug classes available or in development that work in different ways; these are detailed in this Review.
Many hormones use G-protein-coupled receptors and G proteins in the target cell to transduce their signals. A range of disease-causing mutations have been characterized that mimic states of hormone deficiency or excess. This Review describes these mutations, and their resultant clinical and biochemical features.
Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 (E-NPP1) inhibits the insulin receptor. E-NPP1 mutations are associated with type 2 diabetes, and E-NPP1 expression is increased in nonobese, nondiabetic insulin-resistant subjects; E-NPP1 might therefore act as a marker for at-risk individuals and reveal new targets for prevention and treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
