Estradiol Patches Now Fully Subsidized: What Is Their Place In The Treatment Of Menopausal Symptoms?

Transdermal estradiol patches (25, 50 and 100 microgram Estradot brand patches) are now fully subsidised, without the need for Special Authority approval, as a form of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. From 1 January, 2017, a 75 microgram patch will also be available.

Previously, Climara brand 50 and 100 microgram patches were available through Special Authority funding. The Special Authority funding for these medicines was removed on 1 October, 2016, and Climara brand 50 and 100 microgram patches will be delisted from 1 January, 2017. Patients who are currently using Climara patches and require ongoing treatment will need to switch to Estradot brand patches.

Read more: Estradiol Patches Now Fully Subsidized: What Is Their Place In The Treatment Of Menopausal Symptoms?

Source: bpac

Male Birth Control Shot Shows Promise

When it comes to birth control methods, women have more options than ever before. However, for men, the choice is limited to condoms, withdrawal, and vasectomy. A new study - published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism - has established that a male birth control shot is effective at preventing pregnancy.

In the last 40 years, studies have demonstrated that reversible hormonal suppression of spermatogenesis - the process of sperm cell development - in men can prevent pregnancies in their female partners, although the commercial development of the product has been stalled.

In previous studies, testosterone management in men demonstrated birth control efficacy comparable with female methods. However, participants had to be given much greater doses than are typically found in the body and the method caused long-term adverse effects in healthy men.

While giving progesterone alongside can reduce the dose of testosterone, there have been few studies that have evaluated the efficacy and safety of such a combination. With 40 percent of all pregnancies worldwide unintended in 2012, better birth control options are required for men.

Read more: Male Birth Control Shot Shows Promise

The male birth control shot may provide more choice for controlling male fertility in the future.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Fertility: What You Need to Know

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS for short is a disorder that causes an imbalance in female sex hormones. The imbalance can lead to a variety of symptoms and also affect a woman's fertility.

To understand what PCOS is and how it affects a woman, it's helpful to learn a little about how the ovaries work.

Every month in women of childbearing age, tiny fluid-filled cysts called follicles develop on the surface of the ovary. One of the follicles will produce a mature egg, which is released from the ovary. Female sex hormones including estrogen cause the egg to mature and break through the follicle.

In women who have polycystic ovary syndrome, there is an imbalance in female sex hormones. The imbalance may prevent mature eggs from developing and being released. Without a mature egg, ovulation does not occur, which leads to infertility.

Read more: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Fertility: What You Need to Know

The imbalance in female hormones may prevent ovulation, leading to infertility. If showing any
symptoms of PCOS, it is wise to see a doctor in order to prevent further complications. Unless a
woman is trying to get pregnant, birth control pills may be used to correct the hormonal imbalance.

Source: MedicalNewsToday.

Crohn's disease: Potential treatment to prevent fibrosis uncovered

Scientists from the University of British Columbia in Canada have found a mutation that switches off a hormone receptor, which prevents mice from developing fibrosis. This discovery could lead to potential treatments to prevent fibrosis in people with Crohn's disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - affects around 1.6 million people in the United States. Most people are diagnosed with Crohn's disease before age 35, and while these life-long conditions can be treated, there is currently no cure.

Crohn's disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation to the lining of the digestive system. While the disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, the most commonly affected areas are the end of the small intestine (the ileum) or the large intestine (colon).

Read more: Crohn's disease: Potential treatment to prevent fibrosis uncovered

Scientists can potentially block complications of fibrosis in Crohn's disease by dampening particular
inflammatory cell types.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Watch: Discovery offers hope for Crohn's disease sufferers

What is the Function of the Hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus is a small area in the center of the brain that has many jobs. It plays an important role in hormone production and helps to stimulate many important processes in the body.

When the hypothalamus is not working properly, it can cause problems in the body leading to many disorders. Though diseases of the hypothalamus are uncommon, it is important to keep it healthy to keep the risk low.

Contents of this article:

1. What is the hypothalamus?
2. Hypothalamus disorders
3. Diet tips for hypothalamus health

Read more: What is the Function of the Hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus plays a huge role in both the endocrine and nervous systems. Head injuries impacting
the hypothalamus are the most common cause of hypothalamic disease. Diets high in saturated fats can
influence and alter the function of the hypothalamus.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Thyroid Hormone Receptors and Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Disorders

Thyroid hormone action is predominantly mediated by thyroid hormone receptors (THRs), which are encoded by the thyroid hormone receptor α (THRA) and thyroid hormone receptor β (THRB) genes. Patients with mutations in THRB present with resistance to thyroid hormone β (RTHβ), which is a disorder characterized by elevated levels of thyroid hormone, normal or elevated levels of TSH and goitre.

Mechanistic insights about the contributions of THRβ to various processes, including colour vision, development of the cochlea and the cerebellum, and normal functioning of the adult liver and heart, have been obtained by either introducing human THRB mutations into mice or by deletion of the mouse Thrb gene. The introduction of the same mutations that mimic human THRβ alterations into the mouse Thra and Thrb genes resulted in distinct phenotypes, which suggests that THRA and THRB might have non-overlapping functions in human physiology.

These studies also suggested that THRA mutations might not be lethal. Seven patients with mutations in THRα have since been described. These patients have RTHα and presented with major abnormalities in growth and gastrointestinal function. The hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis in these individuals is minimally affected, which suggests that the central T3 feedback loop is not impaired in patients with RTHα, in stark contrast to patients with RTHβ.

Read more: Thyroid Hormone Receptors and Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Disorders

Overview of tissues and homeostatic functions affected in RTHα and RTHβ.

Source: NatureReviewsEndocrinology

The Pathophysiology of Defective Proteostasis in the Hypothalamus — From Obesity to Ageing

Hypothalamic dysfunction has emerged as an important mechanism involved in the development of obesity and its comorbidities, as well as in the process of ageing and age-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and Alzheimer disease. In both obesity and ageing, inflammatory signalling is thought to coordinate many of the cellular events that lead to hypothalamic neuronal dysfunction. This process is triggered by the activation of signalling via the toll-like receptor 4 pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress, which in turn results in intracellular inflammatory signalling. However, the process that connects inflammation with neuronal dysfunction is complex and includes several regulatory mechanisms that ultimately control the homeostasis of intracellular proteins and organelles (also known as 'proteostasis'). This Review discusses the evidence for the key role of proteostasis in the control of hypothalamic neurons and the involvement of this process in regulating whole-body energy homeostasis and lifespan.

Key points

• Specialized neurons of the hypothalamus control caloric intake and energy expenditure in response to hormonal, nutritional and neural signals that reflect the energy stores in the body
• Malfunction of the hypothalamus occurs in obesity and ageing, which leads to an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure resulting in positive energy balance and reduced lifespan
• The excessive consumption of certain nutrients and ageing affect different aspects of proteostasis in selected neurons of the hypothalamus, contributing to neuronal dysfunction in obesity and ageing
• Inflammation is one of the most important outcomes of disturbed proteostasis to occur in the hypothalamus during obesity and ageing
• Several genetic and pharmacological approaches used to correct the defects of proteostasis and reduce inflammation have proven effective in reducing obesity and increasing lifespan in experimental models

Read more: The Pathophysiology of Defective Proteostasis in the Hypothalamus — From Obesity to Ageing

Figure 1: Control of energy balance and lifespan by the hypothalamic network. Neurons of the
medium hypothalamus respond to systemic signals of whole-body energy status. Blood levels of
insulin fluctuate acutely in response to carbohydrates present in food and chronically in response
to increased adiposity.

Source: Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Pancreatic cell transplantation: a breakthrough for type 1 diabetes?

The results of a phase 3 clinical trial are being hailed as a "breakthrough" in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, after finding that transplantation of islet cells - clusters of cells in the pancreas that contain insulin-producing cells - prevented potentially life-threatening reductions in blood sugar among patients with the disease.

Study co-author Dr. Xunrong Luo, associate professor of medicine and surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, says the findings show that islet cell transplantation is a viable treatment option for type 1 diabetes patients who have severely low blood glucose levels, or hypoglycemia.

What is more, the team says the findings suggest islet cell transplantation could eliminate the need for lifelong insulin therapy for people with type 1 diabetes.

The researchers recently published their results in Diabetes Care - a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for around 5% of all diabetes cases in the US. It occurs when beta cells within the islets of the pancreas are unable to produce insulin - the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels by promoting transportation of glucose from the bloodstream to other cells, where it is used for energy.

Read more: Pancreatic cell transplantation: a breakthrough for type 1 diabetes?

The study suggests islet transplantation is effective for people with type 1 diabetes who have severely
low blood glucose levels.

Source: medicalnewstoday