The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting and Expo
The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting and Expo, ENDO 2010, took place June 19 to 22 in San Diego, and attracted approximately 7,000 participants from around the world. The conference focused on advances in the management of obesity, endocrine disorders, diabetes, and menopause, with presentations regarding growth hormones, sex steroids, weight-loss surgery, and thyroid cancer. Nearly all studies focused on applying the results of clinical trials to clinical practice management.
In one study, Sue Jackson, Ph.D., of the University of the West of England in Bristol, U.K., and colleagues found that extremely obese adults who underwent weight loss surgery with laparoscopic gastric banding not only experienced weight loss but also benefited from improved psychological health one year post-surgery.
The researchers evaluated 21 female and four male morbidly obese patients, ranging in age from 30 to 58 years, including 16 individuals with type 2 diabetes and nine without the condition. After one year, the researchers found that laparoscopic gastric banding improved body mass index, hemoglobin A1c levels, and psychological status, including improvements in psychological and physical quality of life, reductions in levels of general anxiety and depression, and reductions in levels of social anxiety.
"Gastric banding seems to be an effective tool to help address obesity; however, it is not a quick fix and is just a tool to help lose weight. It is clear these individuals need help to learn other techniques and skills to enable them to deal with difficult life events and other issues without using food as a coping mechanism," Jackson said.
Abstract No. P3-432
In a study presented by Raymond Plodkowski, M.D., of the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno, researchers found that insulin-resistant women lost more weight on a low carbohydrate diet than on a low fat diet over a three-month period.
The researchers randomized 45 insulin-resistant women (with a body mass index of 30 to 40 kg/m²), between the ages of 18 and 65 years, to a low fat diet (60 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent fat, and 20 percent protein) or a low carbohydrate diet (45 percent carbohydrate, 35 percent fat, and 20 percent protein) administered with calorie-controlled foods. All women significantly lost weight at four, eight, and 12 weeks, and the differences in weight loss between the low fat diet and low carbohydrate diet groups became significant at 12 weeks (7.34 versus 9.33 kg).
"These data have potential widespread applications for clinicians when counseling people with insulin resistance to help improve weight loss as part of a calorie-restricted diet," Plodkowski said in a statement. "They should at least initially lower their carbohydrate intake."
The study was funded by Jenny Craig.
Abstract No. OR05-6
In a prospective study, F.A.J. Verburg, M.D., and colleagues at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands found that obese individuals without metabolic risk factors for diabetes and heart disease were not at elevated cardiovascular risk compared to normal weight or overweight individuals with similar metabolic profiles.
The researchers evaluated 1,325 obese individuals -- 6.8 percent of whom were metabolically healthy -- from 8,356 individuals participating in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular Endstage Disease study. The researchers found that over 7.5 years of follow-up, the risk for cardiovascular events was similar in metabolically healthy individuals who were obese (1.1 percent) and metabolically healthy individuals who were overweight (1.3 percent) or of normal weight (0.6 percent).
"Based on these results, it is now reasonable to monitor patients closely who are obese without risk factors and avoid medication unless other risk factors arise," study co-author, André P. van Beek, M.D., said.
Abstract No. OR05-1
As part of the conference, the Endocrine Society presented its scientific statement on menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), highlighting the benefits and risks associated with MHT. The organization issued the statement based on new data that suggests the original data from the Women's Health Initiative study -- showing that MHT led to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and breast cancer -- failed to take into account when MHT was initiated after onset of menopause. The statement was also published online June 21 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The findings revealed that women who started MHT a short time after onset of menopause at ages 50 to 59 years and continued treatment through five years experienced a decrease in mortality risk, no increased risk of heart disease, and a 90 percent reduction of menopausal symptoms, compared to women who started MHT after 60 years of age.
"It is important to remember that most women considering MHT are between the ages of 50 and 55 and, in this group, MHT may have many benefits," task force chair, Richard Santen, M.D., of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said in a statement.
Abstract
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ENDO: High Normal Thyroid Levels Linked to Miscarriage
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Women in their first trimester of pregnancy who have thyroid function test results in the upper half of the normal range but have negative thyroid antibody test results are at a higher risk for miscarriage, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, held from June 19 to 22 in San Diego.
Abstract No. OR37-4
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ENDO: Women With PCOS Have Higher Bisphenol A Levels
TUESDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may be more vulnerable to bisphenol A (BPA) exposure, and BPA exposure early in life among males may negatively impact testicular function into adulthood, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, held from June 19 to 22 in San Diego.
Abstract No. P2-395
Abstract No. OR21-4
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ENDO: High Levels of Fructose May Increase Visceral Obesity
MONDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- The consumption of high levels of fructose by healthy-weight, prepubescent children as their adipocytes mature may change the behavior of these cells, leading to an increase in visceral obesity and negative effects on insulin sensitivity, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, held from June 19 to 22 in San Diego.
Abstract No. P2-482
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ENDO: In Elderly, HbA1c Test May Underdiagnose Diabetes
MONDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) testing is associated with a risk of underdiagnosing type 2 diabetes in elderly adults of Asian descent using a cutoff of 6.5 percent or greater, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, held from June 19 to 22 in San Diego.
Abstract No. P2-557
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ENDO: Cardiac Events Linked to Higher Testosterone in Elderly
MONDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly men with higher testosterone levels may be at an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, held from June 19 to 22 in San Diego.
Abstract No. OR17-1
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ENDO: Low Vitamin D Linked to Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome
MONDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- Low vitamin D levels are common among individuals with type 2 diabetes and are linked to poor blood sugar control; low vitamin D also appears to be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome in older adults, according to research presented at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, held from June 19 to 22 in San Diego.
Abstract No. P1-164
Abstract No. P1-168
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