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Premature ovarian failure (POF) generally occurs before 40 years of age and is characterized by amenorrhea and follicle-stimulating hormone levels within the menopausal range. Variations in the endogenous estradiol levels can also occur. The potential risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy for women with POF are discussed in this Viewpoint.
Beyond the classical effects of vitamin D on bone and calcium homeostasis, nonclassical effects in cancer and cardiovascular disease are emerging. This article details another important nonclassical role for vitamin D in regulating both innate and adaptive immunity, and how this can become compromised by vitamin D insufficiency.
Glucocorticoids are the most potent, most widely prescribed anti-inflammatory agents, but also exert many important metabolic effects. This article describes how insights into the complex mechanisms of action of the glucocorticoid receptor are helping the systematic search for drugs that separate desirable effects of glucocorticoids from undesirable effects.
Patients with sickle-cell disease can suffer both from the direct consequences of the disease and from iron overload due to repeated transfusions. As described in this article, a wide range of endocrine, metabolic and nutritional abnormalities are found in this patient group, and often occur before iron overload is evident.
There is a high frequency of germline mutations in patients with pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. This article describes a patient with a pheochromocytoma and a novelSDHCmutation. The authors highlight the importance of genetic testing in patients with the pheochromocytoma–paraganglioma syndrome.
