All articles tagged with #endocrinology
On World Thyroid Day 2024, Dr. Ashutosh Goyal shares natural ways to prevent thyroid diseases, including consuming a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients, maintaining good selenium levels, regular exercise, stress management, and ensuring quality sleep.
Endocrinologists in Utah are embracing a groundbreaking minimally invasive procedure for treating thyroid nodules, offering patients an alternative to major surgery. The innovative in-office procedure, recently approved by the FDA, has shown remarkable success in reducing nodule size and alleviating symptoms. Patients can now avoid invasive surgery and its associated scarring, recovery time, and lifelong reliance on hormone replacement medication. With coverage by a major Utah insurer and expected universal coverage in the coming months, this procedure marks a significant advancement in thyroid nodule treatment, providing newfound hope and relief for patients.
Roger Guillemin, a Nobel-winning neuroscientist known for his work on hormones controlling bodily functions, has died at 100. His career was marked by intense scientific rivalries, including a 10-year competition with his former partner Andrew V. Schally, which ended in them sharing the Nobel Prize in 1977, and a later rivalry with his collaborator Wylie Vale Jr. Guillemin's interest in brain control of the pituitary gland led him to a career in medical research, despite initially training to be a family doctor in France.
Prescriptions for desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) to treat newly diagnosed hypothyroidism nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020 in the United States, while prescribing of first-line levothyroxine monotherapy dropped, new research has found. The nonlevothyroxine therapies were more commonly prescribed in the west and southwestern United States, while levothyroxine monotherapy was more frequent in the northwest and upper midwest, and also in states with higher densities of primary care physicians and endocrinologists. The shift in first-line treatment was unexpected, and the reasons for the increase in DTE use are unclear.
Dr. Vidhya Illuri, an endocrinologist, recommends a whole foods, plant-based diet for weight loss, which includes complex carbs like lentils, legumes, and beans. She advises against cutting carbs completely, as they provide fuel and are important for the body. Dr. Illuri's go-to meal for weight loss is chili with lots of beans, vegetables, and spices, topped with corn. She also recommends quinoa and chickpea salad and lentil soup for healthy weight loss. The key is to focus on nutrient-rich foods from whole food sources instead of restricting oneself.
Achieving optimal vitamin D levels is crucial for overall health, but it's difficult to get enough through diet and sunlight alone. Board-certified endocrinologist Brittany Henderson recommends a vitamin D status of at least 50 ng/ml for optimal health benefits. A high-quality, bioavailable vitamin D3 supplement is the most viable way to achieve this, with mbg's vitamin D3 potency+ being a standout option due to its organic, algal-sourced vitamin D3 and built-in organic oils for enhanced bioavailability. Consult with a healthcare provider before starting a supplement routine.
Researchers have discovered an oxytocin deficiency in patients with a rare vasopressin deficiency, marking the first time a clinically relevant oxytocin deficiency has been identified. This deficiency could potentially explain symptoms such as anxiety and social interaction difficulties that persist despite treatment. The findings suggest that disorders impacting vasopressin production may concurrently affect oxytocin production due to their close anatomical proximity. This breakthrough could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches, particularly for conditions like autism that are suspected to involve oxytocin deficits.
Researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel have demonstrated a deficiency of oxytocin in patients with a deficiency of vasopressin caused by a disease of the pituitary gland. This finding could be key to developing new therapeutic approaches for patients with vasopressin deficiency and other diseases such as autism. The same researchers are currently planning a large study to investigate whether treatment with oxytocin can improve the psychological symptoms in patients with vasopressin deficiency.
TikTok influencers are promoting "hormone balancing" advice, such as eating raw carrots or taking vitamin B2 supplements, which is not backed by medical science. Hormones are complex and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to ensure they are working in harmony. Seeking medical advice from a doctor, ideally an endocrinologist, is recommended instead of following non-FDA-approved products or off-label use of hormones.