Volume 6 Issue 7, July 2010

To address concerns about the long-term safety of using dopamine agonists to treat patients with hyperprolactinemia Valassi and colleagues carried out a systematic review of the literature. Although the results show no increased risk of valvular heart disease, lengthy prospective follow-up studies are needed in patients requiring long-term high dose regimens.

A novel study published in The Lancet suggests a U-shaped association between HbA_1c levels and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. But is a revision of current guidelines to include a minimum HbA_1c target advisable on the basis of these findings?

The contribution of secondary causes to low bone mass in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis is unknown. A study by Cerdá Gabaroi et al. aimed to fill this gap. While the researchers found a high prevalence of secondary causes, the importance of clinical risk factors should not be underestimated in the primary care setting.

An increased incidence of malformations of the genital tract, and neoplasms of the testis, uterus, and breast has been observed during the past half century following the introduction of endocrine disrupting chemicals into the environment. This Review discusses the theoretical underpinnings and corresponding evidence connecting development and carcinogenesis. The data gathered thus far linking exposure to these chemicals to cancer warrant action to protect public health.

With the increase in life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis, so has the prevalence of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes mellitus risen in the past decades. The authors of this Review address cystic fibrosis-specific diagnostic approaches and stress the need for a strong evidence base to guide the management of patients with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes mellitus and its complications.

A local autocrine axis exists in the testes that regulates spermatogenesis. In this Review, Cheng and Mruk review findings from the past decade that support the presence and reveal the importance of this axis, which is an emerging target for male contraceptive development.

Falls and fall-related injuries, such as fractures, are often the cause of pain, functional impairments, reduced quality of life and excess health-care costs and mortality among older adults. This Review focuses on evidence-based physical therapy approaches for the prevention of falls and fractures, including exercise, vibration training and improvement of safety at home and during periods of mobility, and highlights the benefits of multifaceted intervention strategies.

HbA_1c is the cornerstone of diabetes management; however, measurement and interpretation of HbA_1c values is complex and hampered by lack of international standardization. The implementation of a reference system developed by the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry could potentially allow reporting of true HbA_1cresults, standardized to an absolute value, worldwide.