Copyright 2010 Medical News TodayLatest Health News and Medical News posted throughout the day, every day.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/endocrinology/admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin)editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors)en-us Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xnRhttp://mnt.to/f/3xnRScientists have identified a gene they say is a strong candidate for involvement in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and other maladies associated with the natural flux in hormones during the menstrual cycle...Women's Health / Gynecology Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xqDhttp://mnt.to/f/3xqDOligomenorrhea is a medical term which generally refers to irregular or infrequent menstrual periods with intervals of more than 35 days - however, the duration may vary. A period, or menstruation, is the shedding of the endometrium - the lining of the uterus. Menstruation is also called menses...Women's Health / Gynecology Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xkjhttp://mnt.to/f/3xkjGSK announces the formation of a new standalone unit specialising in the development and commercialisation of medicines for rare diseases. Over 5,500 rare diseases have been identified(1) of which less than 10% are currently being treated(2), presenting a significant unmet medical need...Genetics Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xjVhttp://mnt.to/f/3xjVSolvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc...Cystic Fibrosis Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xghhttp://mnt.to/f/3xghProtalix Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE- Amex: PLX) announced that data from its pivotal Phase III trial of taliglucerase alfa in patients with Gaucher disease will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Lysosomal Disease Network: WORLD Symposium 2010, February 10-12, 2010 in Miami, Florida. Hanna Rosenbaum, M.D...Endocrinology Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xg3http://mnt.to/f/3xg3ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC Bulletin Board: ACCP) announced that it initiated an internal pre-licensing program to confirm the utility of its proprietary Cobalamin (vitamin B12) platform technology for targeted delivery of siRNA therapies...Biology / Biochemistry Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3xdwhttp://mnt.to/f/3xdwA hormone responsible for the body's stress response is also linked to the growth of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, according to JDRF- funded researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California. The findings are the latest advances to underscore the potential for regeneration as a key component of a possible cure for type 1 diabetes...Diabetes Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3x8fhttp://mnt.to/f/3x8fPROLOR Biotech, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: PBTH) reported positive top-line results from a Phase I study of its longer-acting version of human growth hormone (hGH). The study was designed to measure the potential durability (half-life), overall drug exposure (AUC) and biological efficacy, as well as the safety and tolerability of PROLOR's longer-acting CTP-modified human growth hormone (hGH-CTP)...Endocrinology Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3x8yhttp://mnt.to/f/3x8yFat tissue in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome produces an inadequate amount of the hormone that regulates how fats and glucose are processed, promoting increased insulin resistance and inflammation, glucose intolerance, and greater risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study conducted at the Center for Androgen-Related Research and Discovery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center...Endocrinology Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3x6hhttp://mnt.to/f/3x6h Fat tissue in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome produces an inadequate amount of the hormone that regulates how fats and glucose are processed, promoting increased insulin resistance and inflammation, glucose intolerance, and greater risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study conducted at the Center for Androgen-Related Research and Discovery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center...Women's Health / Gynecology Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3x4Dhttp://mnt.to/f/3x4DIncreasing rates of obese and overweight children in the United States may be contributing to a later onset of puberty in boys, say researchers at the University of Michigan...Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3x3Khttp://mnt.to/f/3x3KA study published this week in Lancet suggests that low A1C levels may be just as dangerous as high A1C levels in diabetes patients with respect to mortality and cardiovascular outcomes...Diabetes Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wX4http://mnt.to/f/3wX4A mechanism for regulating the hormone prolactin has newly been revealed by scientists at Karolinska Institutet. The results are to be published in the scientific journal Neuron, and may be significant for conditions and functions such as breast-feeding, sexual libido, and metabolism...Endocrinology Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wXshttp://mnt.to/f/3wXsCommon flame-retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, appear to be linked to reduced fertility in women, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the Los Angeles Times reports. The chemicals, which have been used for more than four decades, are found in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets and plastics...Fertility Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wWfhttp://mnt.to/f/3wWfThe Endocrine Society unveiled its newest journal, Hormones & Cancer. This bi-monthly journal will include research articles covering all aspects of hormone action on cancer causation, progression, dependence, prevention, resistance and treatment. Hormonal cancers include cancers of the breast and prostate, two of the most deadly cancer subtypes...Endocrinology Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wVMhttp://mnt.to/f/3wVMSNM applauds a move by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to help fund the development of a domestic supply of radioisotopes, which are used to help millions of patients each year through the diagnosis and staging of cancer, thyroid and heart disease. Earlier this week, GE-Hitachi announced their selection by the NNSA to help develop a U.S...Radiology / Nuclear Medicine Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wQKhttp://mnt.to/f/3wQKPeople profoundly deficient in human growth hormone (HGH) due to a genetic mutation appear to live just as long as people who make normal amounts of the hormone, a new study shows. The findings suggest that HGH may not be the "fountain of youth" that some researchers have suggested...Endocrinology Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wQDhttp://mnt.to/f/3wQDWe often go to great lengths to look and feel our best. Yet many never realize that one of the keys to a healthy body and a productive life rests just below the neck. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland below the larynx that produces thyroid hormones; chemicals that affect the function of many of the body's organs including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, bones and skin...Endocrinology Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wN7http://mnt.to/f/3wN7A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has found that a specific stress hormone, the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), is key to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence in animal models. Chemically blocking the stress factor also blocked the signs and symptoms of addiction, suggesting a potentially promising area for future drug development...Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wCshttp://mnt.to/f/3wCsThe Endocrine Society released a statement supporting the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) new clinical practice recommendations adding the use of the A1C blood test to the traditional tests that use blood sugar measurements in the diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes...Diabetes Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wCBhttp://mnt.to/f/3wCBMany American women are prescribed estrogen to combat the negative effects of menopause, such as bone loss and mood swings. Now, new evidence from a Tel Aviv University study suggests that hormone replacement therapy might also protect them - and younger women - from schizophrenia as well. Prof...Psychology / Psychiatry Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wBghttp://mnt.to/f/3wBgA study by the University of Exeter and the Peninsula Medical School for the first time links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA is a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods including nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics...Endocrinology Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wvfhttp://mnt.to/f/3wvfHormone Helps to Regulate Energy Homeostasis, Neuroendocrine Function, and Metabolism Leptin is a hormone that plays a central role in fat metabolism. Patients with genetic leptin deficiency are obese, and treatment with leptin leads to dramatic weight loss through decreased food intake and possible increased energy expenditure...Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wqnhttp://mnt.to/f/3wqnScientists have shown that early growth hormone supplementation in rats with growth hormone deficiency can prevent defects in memory developing later in adulthood. The study, published in the Journal of Endocrinology is the first to show that memory defects in adults as a result of growth hormone deficiency arising in childhood can be prevented by growth hormone treatment during adolescence...Endocrinology Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:00:00 PSThttp://mnt.to/f/3wq4http://mnt.to/f/3wq4Endocrinologists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC are launching a human trial of a new drug that their research indicates holds great promise for building bones weakened by osteoporosis...Bones / Orthopaedics