Endocrine reproductive disorders articles from across Nature Portfolio

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major public health problem affecting ~11–13% of women worldwide. In this Primer, Stener-Victorin et al. review the epidemiology and pathophysiology of PCOS and highlight the latest advances in the diagnosis and management of this syndrome.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are a group of harmful environmental pollutants hypothesized to be drivers of multiple health disorders. In the current article, the estrogenic-EDC diethylstilbestrol (DES) is utilized to model how EDCs may impact erectile dysfunction, with DES causing abnormal erectile tissue contractility.

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), representing 20,000 endocrinologists, is concerned about the effect of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on endocrine health, particularly thyroid and gonadal function. The policy strategies of the ESE aim to minimize overall exposure of humans to EDCs and to stimulate funding for research at the level of the European Union.

Most women experience vasomotor symptoms during menopause, which considerably affect their quality of life. While vasomotor symptoms can be substantially reduced with menopausal hormone therapy, many women are unable or choose not to take hormone therapy. Now, studies have demonstrated that neurokinin 3 receptor antagonists have a level of effectiveness against vasomotor symptoms that is similar to that of hormone therapy.