Neuroendocrinology News

Low levels of raf kinase inhibitory protein were associated with poor clinical response to somatostatin analogs in patients with acromegaly, according to new study findings.

In patients with acromegaly, impaired glucose tolerance is linked to high levels of microalbuminuria. As a result, when assessing for cardiovascular risks in these patients, microalbuminuria should be considered, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The FDA recently announced that manufacturers of pergolide drug products, which are used to treat Parkinson’s disease and pituitary adenomas, will voluntarily remove these drugs from the market because of the risk for serious damage to heart valves.

Patients with Cushing’s disease have a higher mortality risk compared with patients treated for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas.

A case-control study found that heterozygous mutations in natriuretic peptide receptor-B are associated with idiopathic short stature.

A study testing the long-term predictive accuracy of the corticotropin stimulation test found it safe with regard to excluding secondary adrenal insufficiency in pituitary patients.

Tamara Wexler, MD, PhD, director of the pituitary center at NYU Langone Medical Center, spoke with Endocrine Today about the twists of her career, the excitement of working in developing countries, and her advice for women entering endocrinology.

In this issue, Endocrine Today talks with Editorial Board member Laurence Katznelson, MD, professor of medicine and neurosurgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and medical director of the pituitary center. He also is associate dean of graduate medical education at Stanford University. Katznelson’s clinical and research interests lie in the pathophysiology and treatment of pituitary disease. He chaired the Endocrine Society’s clinical guidelines task force that recently published recommendations for management of acromegaly.