Welcome to the latest edition of touchREVIEWS in Endocrinology. In this edition we feature a range of review, case report and original research articles that highlight some key developments in our understanding and management of endocrinological disease. We start with a focus on diabetes. An editorial from Bhattacharya and Kalra gives an overview of the […]

The incidence of youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing.1,2 Growing evidence has demonstrated that youth-onset T2D is rapidly progressive, with earlier onset of life-limiting complications compared with adult-onset T2D.3,4 Initiation of effective treatment that can restore beta cell function is critical. Until 2019, metformin and insulin were the only medications approved by the United States […]

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a disease with a complex aetiopathogenesis that leads to a wide variety of metabolic disorders. This includes, by definition, high plasma glucose levels, but also elevated blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, cardiorenal complications and strokes. All of these disorders, beyond the progressive beta cell failure, derive from insulin resistance (IR).1 Among the many […]

Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the major complications in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). In one study, the global prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers was 6.3%, and the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers differed between North America (13.0%) and Europe (5.1%).1 Besides lowering quality of life, diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic foot amputations are a huge financial […]

Non–alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a spectrum of fatty liver diseases, including non–alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and non–alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).1 NAFLD is associated with metabolic disorders, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome.2 The diagnosis of NAFLD requires ≥5% histologic or imaging evidence of hepatic steatosis, with exclusion of secondary causes of hepatic steatosis, such as significant alcohol consumption, hereditary disorders and […]

Obesity is related to an increased risk of metabolic disease.1 It is well established that excessive body fat is related to increased morbidity and mortality and is associated with inflammation and endothelial damage.2,3 With age, fat infiltration occurs in the muscle, leading to sarcopenia. The association of the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue with a progressive decrease […]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common disease, with an incidence of 5−21% in women during their fertile life (18–45 years of age) worldwide.1 PCOS is clinically diagnosed when two of the three 2003 Rotterdam consensus criteria are met: (i) chronic anovulation disorder (in the form of oligo- or anovulation up to amenorrhoea); (ii) clinical (e.g. […]

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) consensus statement 2022 is a valuable addition that will help streamline type 2 diabetes mellitus management.1 The focus on individualized and person-centric care in the statement is welcome. The draft also acknowledges the significance of language, as it plays a decisive role in enhancing motivation and improving compliance.2 Promoting self-management education […]

Article highlights Epigenetics refers to the heritable changes in DNA expression without changes in the genetic code. Epigenetic changes are brought about by post-translational modifications of histone proteins, covalent modifications of DNA bases and microRNA. Epigenetics explains how environmental milieu such as diet, physical activity, circadian rhythm, intrauterine malnutrition or maternal obesity interact with the genome of […]