COMMON ENDOCRINE DISEASES

FOUND IN MEDICINE WARD

Prepared by: Eden Claire P. Llena

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
 The endocrine system is the collection of
glands that produce hormones that regulate
metabolism, growth and development, tissue
function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep,
and mood, among other things.

The endocrine system is made up of the

pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid
glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries (in
females) and testicles (in males).

The word endocrine derives from the Greek

words "endo," meaning within, and "crinis,"
meaning to secrete.
 In general, a gland selects and removes
materials from the blood, processes them and
secretes the finished chemical product for use
somewhere in the body. The endocrine system
affects almost every organ and cell in the body.

Although the hormones circulate

throughout the body, each type of hormone is
targeted toward certain organs and tissues. The
endocrine system gets some help from organs
such as the kidney, liver, heart and gonads,
which have secondary endocrine functions. The
kidney, for example, secretes hormones such as
erythropoietin and renin.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT ENDOCRINE FUNCTION

 Everyone's body undergoes changes, some

natural and some not, that can affect the way
the endocrine system works. Some of the
factors that affect endocrine organs include
aging, certain diseases and conditions, stress,
the environment, and genetics.
 Aging

 Despite age-related changes, the endocrine

system functions well in most older people.
However, some changes occur because of
damage to cells during the aging process and
genetically programmed cellular changes.
THESE CHANGES MAY ALTER THE FOLLOWING:
 hormone production and secretion
 hormone metabolism (how quickly hormones
are broken down and leave the body)
 hormone levels circulating in blood
 target cell or target tissue response to
hormones
 rhythms in the body, such as the menstrual
cycle
 Chronic diseases and other conditions may
affect endocrine system function in several
ways. After hormones produce their effects at
their target organs, they are broken down
(metabolized) into inactive molecules. The liver
and kidneys are the main organs that break
down hormones.
The ability of the body to break down hormones
may be decreased in people who have chronic
heart, liver, or kidney disease.

Abnormal endocrine function can result from:

 congenital (birth) or genetic defects

 surgery, radiation, or some cancer treatments
 traumatic injuries
 cancerous and non-cancerous tumors
 infection
 autoimmune destruction (when the immune
system turns against the body's own organs
and causes damage)
 STRESS
 Physical or mental stressors can trigger a stress
response. The stress response is complex and can
influence heart, kidney, liver, and endocrine system
function. Many factors can start the stress response, but
physical stressors are most important. In order for the
body to respond to, and cope with, physical stress, the
adrenal glands make more cortisol. If the adrenal glands
do not respond, this can be a life-threatening problem.
Some medically important factors causing a stress
response are
 trauma (severe injury) of any type
 severe illness or infection
 intense heat or cold
 surgical procedures
 serious diseases
 allergic reactions
 Other types of stress include emotional, social, or
economic, but these usually do not require the body to
produce high levels of cortisol in order to survive the
stress
 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
 An environmental endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) is a
substance outside of the body that may interfere with the
normal function of the endocrine system. Some EDCs mimic
natural hormone binding at the target cell receptor. (Binding
occurs when a hormone attaches to a cell receptor, a part of
the cell designed to respond to that particular hormone.) EDCs
can start the same processes that the natural hormone would
start. Other EDCs block normal hormone binding and thereby
prevent the effects of the natural hormones. Still other EDCs
can directly interfere with the production, storage, release,
transport, or elimination of natural hormones in the body.
This can greatly affect the function of certain body systems.
 EDCs can affect people in many ways:
 disrupted sexual development
 decreased fertility
 birth defects
 reduced immune response
 neurological and behavioral changes, including reduced ability
to handle stress
 GENETICS
 Your endocrine system can be affected by genes. Genes
are units of hereditary information passed from parent
to child. Genes are contained in chromosomes. The
normal number of chromosomes is 46 (23 pairs).
Sometimes extra, missing, or damaged chromosomes
can result in diseases or conditions that affect hormone
production or function. The 23rd pair, for example, is
the sex chromosome pair. A mother and father each
contribute a sex chromosome to the child. Girls usually
have two X chromosomes while boys have one X and
one Y chromosome. Sometimes, however, a
chromosome or piece of a chromosome may be missing.
In Turner syndrome, only one normal X chromosome is
present and this can cause poor growth and a problem
with how the ovaries function. In another example, a
child with Prader-Willi syndrome may be missing all or
part of chromosome 15, which affects growth,
metabolism, and puberty. Your genes also may place
you at increased risk for certain diseases, such as breast
cancer. Women who have inherited mutations in the
BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene face a much higher risk of
developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer compared
with the general population
 DISEASES OF THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

 Hormone levels that are too high or too low

indicate a problem with the endocrine system.
Hormone diseases also occur if your body
does not respond to hormones in the
appropriate ways. Stress, infection, and
changes in the blood's fluid and electrolyte
balance can also influence hormone levels,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
 A. DIABETES

 The most common endocrine disease in the

United States is diabetes, a condition in which
the body does not properly process glucose, a
simple sugar. This is due to the lack of insulin
or, if the body is producing insulin, because
the body is not working effectively.
 Hormone imbalances can have a significant
impact on the reproductive system, particularly
in women.
 B.
 hypothyroidism, occurs when the thyroid gland
does not produce enough thyroid hormone to
meet the body’s needs.
 insufficient thyroid hormone can cause many
of the body's functions to slow or shut down
completely.

 Thyroid cancer begins in the thyroid gland and

starts when the cells in the thyroid begin to
change, grow uncontrollably and eventually
form a tumor.
 C.
 Hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucose
or low blood sugar, occurs when blood
glucose drops below normal levels. This
typically happens as a result of treatment for
diabetes when too much insulin is taken.
 The condition can occur in people not
undergoing treatment for diabetes, such an
occurrence is fairly rare.
 CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF ENDOCRINE
DISEASES

 Diabetes, the most common disease of the

endocrine system, can be linked to obesity,
diet and family history.

 "To diagnose diabetes, we do an oral glucose

tolerance test with fasting."

 It is also important to understand the patient's

health history as well as the family history,
Myers noted.
 Tumors — both benign and cancerous — can
also disrupt the functions of the endocrine
system, Myers explained. Infections and
medications such as blood thinners can also
cause adrenal deficiencies.

 Diabetes is treated with pills or insulin

injections. Managing other endocrine disorders
typically involves stabilizing hormone levels
with medication or, if a tumor is causing an
overproduction of a hormone, by removing the
tumor. Treating endocrine disorders takes a
very careful and personalized approach.

 Adjusting the levels of one hormone can

impact the balance of other hormones.