The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 90, No. 12 17a
Copyright © 2005 by The Endocrine Society
Endocrinology & Metabolism News, December 2005
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Endocrine Discovery
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Among 309 patients with type 2 diabetes receiving dual oral therapy with suboptimal glycemic control, inhaled insulin treatment adjusted for blood glucose, either alone or added to oral agents, reduced hemoglobin A1c –1.7% and –1.2%, respectively; but hypoglycemia, mild weight gain, mild cough without pulmonary function test change, and insulin antibodies were all more common with inhaled insulin.
(Ann Int Med (Oct. 18, 2005) 143(8):549)
Exenatide and insulin glargine produced similar improvements in glycemic control in a randomized open label study of type 2 diabetes patients with suboptimal glycemic control on metformin and a sulfonylurea. Exenatide was associated with weight reduction and had a higher incidence of gastrointestinal adverse effects than glargine insulin.
(Ann Int Med (Oct 18, 2005) 143:559)[Abstract/Free Full Text]
In a review of Phase 2 and 3 trials assessing a new combined PPAR 
and 
agonist for treatment of type 2 diabetes, muraglitazar was associated with an excess incidence of the composite end point of death, major adverse cardiovascular events, and heart failurecompared with placebo or pioglitazone.
(JAMA (published electronically ahead of print October 20, 2005))
Adequate serum vitamin D levels were more important than calcium intake in maintaining low serum parathyroid hormone levels in a cross-sectional study of 944 healthy individuals– suggesting that as long as vitamin D status is ensured, a calcium intake of more than 800 mg per day may be unnecessary.
(JAMA (Nov. 9, 2005) 294:2336)[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Obestatin, a novel gastric hormone derived from processing of a ghrelin gene product, suppresses food intake, inhibits jejunal contraction, and decreases body-weight gain. Obestatin binds to GPR39, an orphan G protein-coupled receptor.
(Science (Nov. 11, 2005) 310(5750):996)
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Endocrine Education & Training
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The 2005–2006 U.S. medical school entering class will be the largest ever, with more than 17,000 students enrolling in the country’s 125 medical schools, a 2% percent increase over last year. Applications increased almost 5%, with greater increases in Mexican American (8%) and Asian (8%) applicants, but no change in black applicants (also 8%). Female and male applicant numbers were almost identical, 18,620 and 18,744, respectively.
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Endocrine Practice
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The global burden of diabetic foot disease is the topic of a special issue of The Lancet, published to coincide with World Diabetes Day on November 14.
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Endocrine Policy
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The AAMC has adopted ethical and operational guidelines for conducting and reporting of clinical trials. These would prohibit academic centers from permitting restrictions by sponsors that exclude academic investigators from full intellectual participation in trials or relieve them of responsibility for the results. (For more information, visit:http://www.aamc.org/research/clinicaltrialsreporting/start.htm)
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Endocrinologists
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Richard Robbins will become director of the Department of Medicine at Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Robert Kreisberg is retiring as dean of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine after a long and illustrious career.
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Milestones in Endocrinology
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100 years ago, Edkin described a gastric secretagogue, which he termed gastrin.
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In the Journal 25 Years Ago
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Defective thyroid hormone feedback regulation in the syndrome of peripheral resistance to thyroid hormone. Refetoff S, DeGroot LJ, Barsano CP. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1980:51;41–50. "These results lend support to our earlier hypothesis that the syndrome is due to a selective resistance to thyroid hormone and demonstrate that the pituitary not only shares the defect with other tissues but is also solely responsible for the maintenance of thyroid gland hyperactivity."
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Footnotes
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Readers are encouraged to suggest items for Endocrinology and Metabolism News by email (sherman{at}endo-society.org). Submissions will be considered based on their significance and timeliness.
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