Endocrine disorders

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of chronic complications in type 2 diabetic patients in Basrah (Southern Iraq). Methods: This was a longitudinal descriptive study for patients with diabetes registered in Al-Faiha Diabetes and Endocrine Centre in Basrah (Southern Iraq) for the period from...

In this commentary to the paper by Donadon V. et al (Clinical Medicine: Endocrinology and Diabetes. 2009;2:25–33.) the association and significance of insulin resistance with chronic liver disease are shortly reviewed and the molecular mechanisms underlying the diabetogenic and oncogenic potentials of advanced liver disease are summarized. Literature studies demonstrate...

The antidiabetic effect of the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors depends on the prolongation of action of the 2 incretin hormones: glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) by preventing their rapid degradation by the enzyme DPP-4. The use of the DPP-4 inhibitor vildagliptin is associated with mean...

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine differences between male and female type 2 diabetic patients concerning body weight, metabolic control, insulin requirement and prevalence of vascular diseases during the first year insulin therapy. Patients and Methods: We investigated 102 newly insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients (60 female)...

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing world wide. The risk factors for the development of HCC include liver cirrhosis, chronic alcohol intake, and chronic viral hepatitis. These conditions are associated with inflammation, liver cell injury, and oxidative stress. The signaling pathways that contribute to liver cell injury have...

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) was discovered as a major factor in glucose homeostasis. GSK3β is a pivotal regulator of glycogen synthesis by altering the activity of glycogen synthase and perturbation in this process have been linked to at least some sub-entities of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. However, GSK3β...

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous group of primary immunodeficiency disorders characterized by defective antibody production, low levels of serum immunoglobulins and increased susceptibility to infection. The patient was a 39-year-old male who was admitted to the gastroenterology department with a two week history of diarrhea, blunt abdominal pain...

A number of studies have suggested that homocysteine may be a contributing factor to development of retinopathy in diabetic patients based on observed correlations between elevated homocysteine levels and the presence of retinopathy. The significance of such a correlation remains to be determined, and potential mechanisms by which homocysteine might...

Objectives: There is an established causal link between obesity and cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this review was to determine whether an independent relationship exists between anthropometric measurements of weight (typically body mass index [BMI]) and cardiovascular outcomes (e.g. angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke, and mortality due to...

GISTs are rare neoplasms, which were recently identified to be a distinct pathologic entity. They can develop in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) or may be sporadic. NF1 is one of the most common inherited diseases and is a complex disease, with patients having an increased prevalence of benign...

Metformin is now the most widely prescribed oral hypoglycemic agent. This review outlines its use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The main mechanisms of action include reduction of appetite and of intestinal carbohydrate absorption, inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis, and increased glucose uptake by peripheral tissues. Metformin has been...

The renin-angiotensin system can be inhibited through inhibition of angiotensin I generation from angiotensinogen by direct renin inhibitors, inhibition of angiotensin II generation from angiotensin I by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and by direct inhibition of the action of angiotensin II receptor level. Aliskiren, the first direct renin inhibitor to reach...

Traditional first-line intervention in patients with type 2 diabetes and very poor glycemic control is insulin therapy or high doses of sulfanylureas if there is no evidence of volume depletion. This review assesses the efficacy and safety of rosiglitazone and metformin fixed dose combination (avandamet) as initial therapy in patients...

Several clinical studies demonstrate a beneficial role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients with myocardial infarction, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This review focuses on the effects of ramipril, a weak inhibitor of ACE that is rapidly hydrolyzed to ramiprilat, an active metabolite. The Heart Outcome Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study...

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition prevalent worldwide. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, comprising 90% to 95% of all cases. Over the last few decades, the importance of glycemic control and its impact on prevention of diabetes-related complications has been documented in multiple clinical trials....

Objectives: To investigate the role of insulin resistance (IR) and insulin plasma levels (IRI) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We recruited the following patients: 125 with HCC, 128 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 133 with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). IR was assessed by the...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been FDA-approved for treating refractory hypertension since 1981. Since then, clinical investigations support the benefits of ACE inhibition (ACE‑I) in pathologies like congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal insufficiency, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Both, clinical trials and animal models of type I...

Some epidemiological evidence shows a link between abnormality of lipid profiles and variations in serum calcium. However, it is unknown whether this association resulted from confounding factors. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between serum lipids and calcium. Serum calcium was corrected for albumin. Major confounding factors...

The purpose of this article is to review the effectiveness and tolerability of pioglitazone and glimepiride combination treatment for type 2 diabetes, particularly in the context of metabolic control and cardiovascular prevention. We reviewed studies of pioglitazone and glimepiride combination treatment through literature in the internet based Medline. The search...

Garry Walsh Reader in Inflammation and Immunity, University of Aberdeen Scotland, United Kingdom.

Objective: To demonstrate that the administration of an angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blocker (ARB) inhibits the vicious cycle of high glucose (HG)-reactive oxygen species (ROS)-angiotensinogen (AGT)-Ang II-AT1R-ROS by suppressing ROSs and inflammation, thus ameliorating diabetic nephropathy (DN). Research Design and Methods: Thirteen hypertensive DN patients were administered ARBs,...

Ferdinand Roelfsema, Nienke R. Biermasz, Alberto M. Pereira and Johannes A. RomijnDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.AbstractBackground:  In acromegaly expert surgery is curative in only about 60% of patients. Postoperative radiation therapy is associated with a high incidence of hypopituitarism...

P. TattiEndocrinology and Diabetes Unit, ASL RMH Rome.AbstractRosiglitazone is a member of the Thiazolidinedione class of drugs with a potent insulin sensitizing action. The drug has been extensively used and many early warnings on its potential risks were ignored mostly due to an aggressive commercial strategy. In 2007 some papers...

Caroline Messer and Dina GreenDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, U.S.A.AbstractTight glycemic control in type 1 and type 2 diabetes reduces the risk for microvascular complications, including retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Yet, despite intensive insulin regimens, many insulin-dependent patients...

Mark StolarAssociate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.AbstractAlthough multiple new agents for the management of diabetes have become available in the past decade, less than 50% of diabetics in the United States have Hgb A-1-C levels below 7.0% and far fewer...

Roger GadsbyGP Nuneaton, Warwickshire U.K. and Associate Clinical Professor, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, U.K.AbstractBackground:  Sitagliptin was launched into the UK Market in 2007, as the fi rst member of a new class of oral glucose lowering medications, the Dipetidyl Peptidase 4 inhibitors.Aim:  To review the efficacy and safety...

Taysir S. Garadah1, Salah Kassab2, Qasim M. Al-Shboul2 and Abdulhai Alawadi11Cardiac Unit, Salmaniya Medical Complex. 2College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.AbstractRecent studies indicated a high prevalence of hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the threshold of admission glucose...

Objectives: To investigate whether planned visits improve glycemic, blood pressure and lipid control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: The study was conducted from July 2007 to February 2008 at a primary care clinic in Rancho Cordova, California. One hundred eighty-three patients were invited to come to a...

Objective: We assessed the racial (Black–White) differences in glycemic control, prevalence of abnormal lipid profiles and factors influencing temporal trends in children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Methods: This retrospective study was done in children with T1DM. The outcome measure was based on glycemic control and all lipid determinations which were...