View clinical trials related to Endocrine System Diseases.
Filter by:The prevalence of diabetes has been growing rapidly in developing countries causing a devastating economic burden and increasing demands on healthcare systems. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find cost-effective and multi-faceted approach for diabetes care. Peer support models provide a potentially low-cost, flexible means that is complimentary to the current existing health care services. Trained peer leaders can become qualified extenders to a formal healthcare system, thereby, assisting with the education delivery and bolstering the efforts of the professional staff. To implement a culturally- specific peer support program and determine whether it is acceptable, cost-effective in China is important. This study aims to implement and evaluate biophysical and psychosocial outcomes of a peer support program and to explore it's feasibility and sustainability in China
Adipocytokines play an important role in joint inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis as measured by ultrasound and high sensitivity protein-C reactive. Adipocytokines could be the link between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular risk factors more prevalent in these patients.
Hypothesis: Pegvisomant combined with the glucagon stimulation test (GST) can improve the accuracy of this test when used to diagnose adult GH and cortisol (steroid hormone)insufficiency. Study aims: Diagnosing GH and cortisol deficiency in adults requires a special test. At present, the insulin tolerance test (ITT) is considered the test of choice. However, this test is difficult to perform as it involves giving insulin through the veins to decrease blood sugars to very low levels, and this can be unpleasant, and cannot be performed in elderly adults and in those with a history of heart disease, seizure disorders or stroke. For this reason there is an urgent need for an alternative reliable test. At present, the GST is considered the alternative test to the ITT but its accuracy in obese patients and in those with diabetes remains unclear. Pegvisomant is a medication that can increase GH production in the body. The purpose of this study is to find out if combining pegvisomant with the GST can help improve the accuracy of this test so that it is comparable with the ITT in diagnosing adult GH and cortisol insufficiency. Study design: Subjects will be recruited from the Oregon Health & Science University Dynamic Endocrine Testing Unit. A written informed consent will be obtained and a screening interview will be carried out. During the screening interview, the study will be explained to the subject in detail. For women of child-bearing age, a pregnancy test will be performed. The subjects will then take part in three studies on separate days: (1) GST; (2) pegvisomant (1 mg/kg) injection into the abdomen 3 days before the glucagon stimulation test (ii) insulin tolerance test. For the GST, glucagon will be injected into the muscle and blood draws will be performed every 30 mins for 240 mins. For the insulin tolerance test, a blood draw will be performed and insulin will be given into the vein followed by blood draws every 15 mins for 120 mins. The data from all three studies will be analyzed in the study where the peak growth hormone and cortisol levels for all three tests will be compared. A questionnaire will be used at the end of the study for the subjects to rank the level of preference of the three tests. The data of the study will be analyzed using a computer statistical program where the identity of the subjects will be coded to maintain confidentiality.
Background: - The body produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) about every 2 hours. GnRH travels through the bloodstream to the pituitary gland, where it stimulates the gland to produce hormones called gonadotropins. These hormones stimulate the testicles or ovaries. The testicles produce testosterone and develop sperm. The ovaries produce estrogen and prepare for ovulation. Normal estrogen and testosterone levels are required for puberty. Some people, however, have either low levels or total lack of GnRH. This can cause problems with puberty and fertility. Researchers want to study people with low or no GnRH to better understand how it affects puberty and fertility. Objectives: - To study disorders of GnRH production. Eligibility: - Adult men and women at least 18 years of age with low or no gonadotropin levels. - Adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age with low or no gonadotropin levels. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. - Participants will have tests to look at their hormone levels. Blood samples may be collected after taking different drugs, including insulin and cortisone. A 24-hour urine sample will be collected. - Participants will have imaging studies to look at bone and brain development. They will also have ultrasounds of the kidneys, abdomen, and reproductive organs. - Tests of smell and hearing will be used to look for abnormalities in these senses....
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a serious health problem that has increased dramatically worldwide due to the high and increasing prevalence of obesity. Medical management of T2DM is of limited success. Because not well controlled T2DM patients are in high risk of blindness, cardiovascular accident and end staged disease, T2DM has become a major health burden for society. Recent data on the relative effectiveness of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery played as bariatric surgery in the remission of T2DM, suggests that it may be significantly more effective than current medical treatment. In considering that less than half of the T2DM patients can achieve satisfactory treatment goal under current medical treatment, gastrointestinal metabolic surgery shall play an important role in T2DM treatment in the future. However, the indication for metabolic surgery and clinical predictors of success are not clear now. These clinical predictors can help us to choose appropriate not-well controlled T2DM patients to receive metabolic surgery and reduce dverse health outcomes in those patients.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ALTU-238 in the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency who have not yet reached puberty who lack the normal ability to make growth hormone themselves. This study will also test if ALTU-238 works as a weekly treatment.
Hypopituitary adults with all the hormonal deficiencies are well subsituted excepted for the growth hormone (GH) and died earlier than the rest of the population. GH deficiency involves a fat mass increase with regard to lean mass, an atherogenic lipidic profile and participating to osteopenia mechanism and decrease the life quality. All these dysfunctions are partially or totally corrected by the GH prescription with patient deficient since adulthood. However, for patients deficient since childhood, no study have demonstrated that GH treatment during childhood present these same benefit when they are treated during adulthood. Primary objective of this study is to examine that fat mass significantly decrease due to GH treatment in adulthood for patient GH deficient since childhood, treated by GH during childhood but stopped since the end of adolescence. We compare the body composition and others energetic metabolism parameters in two patient groups, one treated by GH during 18 months, and the other with no treatment. Body composition and bone density are measured by pletysmography (DEXA). Metabolic parameters are : energetic balance (energy intake evaluation by questionnaire, energetic expenditure evaluated by doubly labelled water) and biologic parameters (lipidic profile, thyroid hormones). This study will evaluate if the GH treatment of young GH deficient adults since childhood can be a benefit for body composition, lipidic profile and bone density.
The goal of this study is to develop better methods of diagnosis, localization, and treatment for pheochromocytomas. These tumors, which usually arise from the adrenal glands, are often difficult to detect with current methods. Pheochromocytomas release chemicals called catecholamines, causing high blood pressure. Undetected, the tumors can lead to severe medical consequences, including stroke, heart attack and sudden death, in situations that would normally pose little or no risk, such as surgery, general anesthesia or childbirth. Patients with pheochromocytoma may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, electrocardiogram, and blood and urine tests. Study participants will undergo blood, urine, and imaging tests, described below, to detect pheochromocytoma. If a tumor is found, the patient will be offered surgery. If surgery is not feasible (for example, if there are multiple tumors that cannot be removed), evaluations will continue in follow-up visits. If the tumor cannot be found, the patient will be offered medical treatment and efforts to detect the tumor will continue. Main diagnostic and research tests may include the following: 1. Blood tests - mainly measurements of plasma or urine catecholamines and metanephrines as well as methoxytyramine. If necessary the clonidine suppression test can be carried out. 2. Standard imaging tests - Non-investigational imaging tests include computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sonography, and 123I-MIBG scintigraphy and FDG (positron emission tomography) PET/CT. These scans may be done before and/or after surgical removal of pheochromocytoma. 3. Research PET scanning is done using an injection of radioactive compounds. Patients may undergo 18F-FDOPA, 18F-DA, as well as 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT . Each scan takes up to about 2 hours. 4. Genetic testing - A small blood sample is collected for DNA analysis and other analyses.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unlike X-rays and CT-scans does not use radiation to create a picture. MRI use as the name implies, magnetism to create pictures with excellent anatomical resolution. Functional MRIs are diagnostic tests that allow doctors to not only view anatomy, but physiology and function. It is for these reasons that MRIs are excellent methods for studying the brain. In this study, researchers will use MRI to assess brain anatomy and function in X and Y chromosome variation, healthy volunteers, and patients with a variety of childhood onset psychiatric disorders. The disorders include attention deficit disorder, autism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, childhood-onset schizophrenia, dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder, Sydenham's chorea, and Tourette's syndrome. Results of the MRIs showing the anatomy of the brain and brain function will be compared across age, sex (gender), and diagnostic groups. Correlations between brain and behavioral measures will be examined for normal and clinical populations.