The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 92, No. 4 17a
Copyright © 2007 by The Endocrine Society
Endocrinology & Metabolism News, April 2007
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Endocrine Discovery
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Intensive insulin treatment of patients during cardiac surgery resulted in no lesser perioperative death or morbidity and more strokes in a controlled randomized trial.
(Ann Intern Med (Feb. 20, 2007) 146(4):233)
Garlic had no effects on total, LDL-, or HDL-cholesterol, or on triglycerides in hypercholesterolemic individuals during a 6-month prospective randomized trial that studied three raw, powdered, aged garlic supplements.
(Arch Intern Med (Feb. 26, 2007) 167(4):346)
In a randomized trial comparing inhaled insulin to subcutaneous insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes, small but significant decreases in FEV1 (–0.02 ± 0.01/year (90% CI –0.03 to –0.01)) appeared early in the course of therapy, but were nonprogressive over 2 years of study.
(Diabetes Care (March 2007) 30:579)[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Statin therapy-induced reductions in serum LDL-cholesterol and increases in HDL-cholesterol were both associated with regression of coronary atheroma assessed by intravascular ultrasound in a post hoc analysis combining data from four prospective randomized trials.
(JAMA (Feb. 7, 2007);297(5):499)
Pegvisomant caused artefactually low measured GH in most assay systems tested when pooled sera with known GH concentrations were spiked with the drug in clinically relevant serum concentration.
(Eur J Endocrinol (March 2007) 156:315)[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Among 2,532 postmenopausal women with low hip or lumbar spine bone mineral density in an 18-month, randomized, parallel-group study, recombinant human parathyroid hormone reduced risk of further vertebral fractures by 40–60% depending on assumptions about fracture incidence in patients not completing the trial. Compared to placebo, rhPTH increased bone mineral density at the spine by 6.9% and hip by 2.1%, but decreased it at the forearm. rhPTH treated patients had higher incidences of hypercalciuria, hypercalcemia, and nausea.
(Ann Intern Med (March 6, 2007) 146(5):326)
In a meta-analysis of 68 randomized trials with 232,606 participants assessing the impact of antioxidant supplements on all-cause mortality, no effect was observed (RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98–1.06). Furthermore, in a subset of 47 low-bias trials, increased mortality was associated with beta carotene (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02–1.11), vitamin A (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10–1.24), and vitamin E (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07) therapies, singly or combined.
(JAMA (Feb. 28, 2007) 297(8):842)
Type 2 diabetes risk was associated with four novel loci containing variants and confirmed the previously reported TCF7L2 gene association, using high-density arrays that genotyped 392,935 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a French case-control cohort. Identified genes included the zinc transporter SLC30A8, expressed only in ß-cells, and three other genes that may regulate ß-cell development or function (IDE-KIF11-HHEX and EXT2-ALX4).
(Nature (Feb. 22, 2007) 445:881)[CrossRef][Medline]
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Endocrine Practice
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FDA cautioned physicians about increased fracture risk when prescribing rosiglitazone for women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, based on reports that they had more upper arm, hand, or foot fractures than metformin- or glyburide-treated women. (For more information, see http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#rosiglitazone)
FDA and CDC warned that gadolinium-containing MRI contrast agents can cause nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy in patients with renal fail-ure, particularly those on peritoneal dialysis. (For more information, go to http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/gadolinium_agents_20061222.htm)
Physicians and public health authorities were encouraged by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases to increase influenza vaccination rates among individuals with diabetes older than six months and their close contacts. For more information, see http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-21-2007/0004531651&EDATE=)
Only 3% of primary care physicians reported discussing their patients’ hospital discharge with the admitting doctors, and recalled being notified of their discharge only 17% to 20% of the time in 55 observational studies published between 1970 and 2005.
(JAMA (Feb. 28, 2007) 297(8):831)
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Endocrinologists
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Sundeep Khosla received the Frederic C. Bartter Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research for his studies on the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in women and men.
Larry Riggs has received the Gideon A. Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research for his continued inspiration to young trainees and his senior colleagues.
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Milestones in Endocrinology
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One hundred years ago, the term hyperthyroidism was first used by Charles Mayo.
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In the Journal 25 Years Ago
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"Medical oophorectomy" using a long-acting GnRH agonist-a possible new approach to the treatment of endometriosis. Meldrum DR, Chang RJ, Lu J, Vale W, Rivier J, Judd HL. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1982;54:1081–1083.
"... a daily dose of a potent, long-acting GnRH agonist in five adult women reduced the circulating concentrations of androgen and estrogens at the end of treatment to the levels of oophorectomized women... . the most effective treatment for pelvic endometriosis, surgical castration, results in a marked reduction of hormonal stimulation of the ectopic endometrium... . A more extended course of "medical oophorectomy" using GnRH-a may have similar beneficial effects."
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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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