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A recent report based on nationally representative data suggests that US adults are more successful at long-term weight-loss maintenance than was previously thought. Should the benefit of weight-loss programs be re-evaluated?
Measurement of salivary cortisol is used in the diagnosis of hypercortisolism and hypocortisolism. A new study by Perogamvros et al. suggests that measuring salivary cortisone, the inactive metabolite of cortisol, may be clinically useful under certain circumstances. But does analysis of salivary cortisone levels really provide an advantage over the assessment of salivary cortisol?
A recent study has shown that the diagnosis of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a substantial risk of developing chronic liver disease. Should screening for liver disorders be part of the routine evaluation of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?
The Endocrine Society's recent Scientific Statement on postmenopausal hormone therapy highlights the dangers of calculating risks and benefits associated with hormone therapy for women in early menopause on the basis of evidence from previous studies. But does it provide a quantum shift in the clinician's perception of risk versus benefit from hormone therapy?
An FDA advisory panel voted against approval of the appetite-suppressing, anti-obesity drug lorcaserin in September this year. Do the findings of a recent, randomized trial of lorcaserin provide clues to the decision?
The findings from the DCCT–EDIC and UKPDS epidemiological studies suggest that early exposure to hyperglycemia predisposes individuals to the development of diabetic complications, a phenomenon referred to as metabolic memory or the legacy effect. Transient exposure to hyperglycemia results in long-lasting epigenetic modifications that lead to changes in chromatin structure and gene expression, resulting in vascular dysfunction.
Glycogen storage disease type I (GSD-I) consists of a group of autosomal recessive disorders that cause metabolic abnormalities and/or myeloid dysfunction. This Review addresses the etiology of GSD-Ia and GSD-Ib and of glucose-6-phosphatase-β deficiency and highlights advances in diagnosis and treatment, including transplantation and gene therapy.
The diabetogenic effect of glucagon has long overshadowed the potential of this pancreatic hormone as an endogenous satiety and anti-obesity factor. This Review discusses the role of glucagon as a beneficial endocrine factor in lipid and energy metabolism and its potential as a therapeutic agent on the basis of studies that combine the agonism of glucagon receptor and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor.
Although decreased bone mass and osteopenia are common complications of autoimmune diseases, the mechanisms that explain the bone loss are diverse. This Review discusses the multiple faces of autoimmune-induced bone loss—from the direct destruction of bone by inflammation, as observed in rheumatoid arthritis, to the less-characterized potential perturbation of metabolic pathways that systematically control bone mass in type 1 diabetes mellitus or autoimmune thyroid diseases.
This Case Study describes an 18-year-old Somali man who initially presented to medical care with behavioral problems and was later diagnosed as having Klinefelter syndrome. Presented from the perspective of the primary care provider, this case illustrates the challenges in the clinical diagnosis and issues associated with long-term management of this relatively under-recognized condition.
