The investigational long-acting, once-weekly prodrug lonapegsomatropin (TransCon hGH) may be more beneficial to treatment-naïve pediatric patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) than daily somatropin of equivalent weekly dose, according to a paper recently published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Researchers led by Aimee D. Shu, MD, of Ascendis Pharma (who funded the...
A once-weekly injectable suspension has been approved in the U.S. for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Marketed by AstraZeneca as BYDUREON BCise (exenatide extended-release), it has been shown to to improve glycemic control in pediatric patients (10 to 17 years) as an adjunct to diet and exercise. The approval by the US Food and...
Kids in Lockdown: How COVID-19 Affected Children with Type 1 Diabetes
ENDO 2021 presented a plethora of research detailing how COVID-19 impacted a number of endocrine comorbidities. However, two studies in particular took a closer look at how the virus impacted pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes. Each year, ENDO is something of an “embarrassment of riches” because it consists of four days packed with the...
Digenic Variants in Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Signaling Linked to Severe Insulin Resistance
Variants in genes that mediate fibroblast growth factor 21 – a hormone secreted by the liver that acts to regulate the body’s response to starvation – have for the first time been linked to severe insulin resistance, according to a paper recently published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Researchers led by Stephen Stone,...
Primary Care: Pediatricians Urge Greater Access to Surgery for Severely Obese Youth
As childhood obesity becomes an “epidemic within an epidemic,” new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics echoes Endocrine Society recommendations on bariatric surgery for severely obese young people. Aside from reducing their weight, these procedures could benefit young people well into adulthood. Improved access to bariatric surgery is “urgently needed” for the severely obese...
As endocrine science unlocks more secrets of endocrine disruptors, new common household items are being scrutinized for their safety. A recent study from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reveals how lavender oil – a staple in Hispanic culture – could possess estrogenic and antiandrogenic consequences. In some U.S. Hispanic communities, liberal use of...
Review Examines Optimal Care for Patients with 46,XY Differences of Sex Development
Treating patients with 46,XY differences of sex development (DSD) will require interdisciplinary healthcare teams trained to care for patients and their families, according to a paper recently published in Endocrine Reviews. The review, by Amy B. Wisniewski, of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, et al., points out that DSD are a heterogenous group of congenital...
Slightly Elevated TSH Levels Not a Cause for Referral to Pediatric Endocrinologists
Children with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels slightly above reference range shouldn’t be referred to pediatric endocrinologists unless there is another cause for clinical concern, according to a paper recently published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Researchers led by Perrin C. White, MD, of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of...
