Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Six factors independently predicted melanoma risk

Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is a health risk that accounts for more than 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

5 Mar 2009

Genetic mutations suggest link between type 1 diabetes and common viral infection

Scientists from Cambridge University have discovered four rare mutations of a gene associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) that reduce the risk of developing the disease.

5 Mar 2009

Dermatologists caution that severe cases of psoriasis can be associated with other serious medical conditions

On the surface, the thick, red, scaly, itchy plaques of psoriasis - which have been shown to have a significant negative impact on a person's overall quality of life - may not appear to pose a serious health risk for patients. However, a growing body of research suggests that psoriasis patients are at an increased risk of developing serious medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, particularly when their psoriasis is severe.

5 Mar 2009

Number of cardiovascular risk factors could determine safety of intravenous gammaglobulin treatment

New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine identifies the presence of cardiovascular risk factors as an indicator of how likely it is that elderly, hospitalized patients who receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment will have a stroke or heart attack.

5 Mar 2009

Birth control shot causes significant weight gain

Women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), commonly known as the birth control shot, gained an average of 11 pounds and increased their body fat by 3.4 percent over three years, according to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

4 Mar 2009

RNA World: a new frontier in biomedical research

Research into RNA, a molecule found in every cell of our bodies, could lead to remarkable advances in the treatment of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, a meeting organised by the European Science Foundation was told.

4 Mar 2009

Patients with severe asthma benefit from injections of the antibody, mepolizumab

McMaster University researchers have found patients with a very severe asthma benefit from injections of the antibody, mepolizumab.

4 Mar 2009

New microgel capsules trap omega-3 fatty acids

Nutritionists are nearly unanimous in recommending that Americans should eat significantly more omega-3 fatty acids and consume them in foods, not in vitamin pills.

4 Mar 2009

Naked mole rats may hold clues to successful aging

Naked mole rats resemble pink, wrinkly, saber-toothed sausages and would never win a beauty contest, even among other rodents.

4 Mar 2009

Kidney disease increases risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation

Chronic kidney disease increases the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of heart arrhythmia, according to a new study by Kaiser Permanente researchers in the current online issue of Circulation.

4 Mar 2009

Diet moderately high in protein may be best for fat loss

Any diet will do? Not if you want to lose fat instead of muscle. Not if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. Not if you want to avoid cravings that tempt you to cheat on your diet. And not if you want to keep the weight off long-term.

4 Mar 2009

Off-label drug uses wasting millions, raising health risks

A recent study in Oregon suggests that drugs designed for treating the most severe mental illnesses are often prescribed at inappropriately low doses and at considerable expense, for use in conditions where their benefit has not been established.

4 Mar 2009

History of major depression increases risk for heart disease more than genetics or environment

A history of major depression increases the risk of heart disease over and above any genetic risks common to depression and heart disease, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the VA.

4 Mar 2009

Heart attack outcomes worse for blacks than whites due in part to individual characteristics

Black heart attack patients have worse outcomes than their white counterparts in large part because of preexisting chronic health conditions and socioeconomic factors, according to a study published in the March issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, Reuters Health reports.

4 Mar 2009

Hair helps predicts HIV antiretroviral treatment success

UCSF researchers have found that examining levels of antiretroviral drugs in hair samples taken from HIV patients on therapy strongly predicts treatment success.

3 Mar 2009

Bariatric surgery resolves obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus

As the incidence of obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus continues to increase worldwide, medical research indicates that surgery to reduce obesity can completely eliminate all manifestations of diabetes.

3 Mar 2009

Obesity and infertility in women

Obese women have alterations in their ovaries which might be responsible for an egg's inability to make an embryo, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

3 Mar 2009

Molecular switch linked to obesity, insulin resistance, type II diabetes

A molecular switch found in the fat tissue of obese mice is a critical factor in the development of insulin resistance, report scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

3 Mar 2009

'Pre-diabetics' face heightened risk of heart disease

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism , was led by Jill P. Crandall, M.D., associate professor of clinical medicine and director of the Diabetes Clinical Trials Unit at Einstein.

3 Mar 2009

Hormone imbalance from obesity impacts sex life

Hormonal changes and diminished sexual quality of life among obese men are related to the degree of obesity, and both are improved after gastric bypass surgery according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

3 Mar 2009