Endocrine conditions Flashcards
What is endocrinology?
a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones
What is the function of the endocrine system?
to maintain homeostasis by responding to both internal and external stimuli
List six endocrine conditions.
diabetes (type 1 and type 2) osteoporosis Addison's disease hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism Cushing's syndrome Graves' disease
How many endocrine conditions can affect any given population?
200
What is the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in the UK?
> 370,000
10% of all diabetes cases
Who is most affected by type 1 diabetes in the UK?
usually appears before the age of 40 years
men are more affected than women
What is the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the UK?
over 3.2 million people with a prevalence rate of 6%
90% of all diabetes cases
Who is most affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK?
usually appears after the age of 40 years
appears after the age of 25 years in people of South Asian and Afro-Caribbean origin
men are more affected than women
What is the prevalence of osteoporosis in the UK?
> 3 million
Who is most affected by osteoporosis in the UK?
women are more affected than men
What is the prevalence of Addison’s disease in the UK?
> 8400
1 in 20,000
Who is most affected by Addison’s disease in the UK?
all age groups and genders are equally affected
most affected age group is 30-50 years
What is the prevalence of hyperthyroidism in the UK?
> 700,000
0.2-2%
Who is most affected by hyperthyroidism in the UK?
prevalence rate in women of 2% (673,000)
0.2% in men (65,580)
What is the prevalence of hypothyroidism in the UK?
132,000
2%
Who is most affected by hypothyroidism in the UK?
women are 5-10 times more likely to be affected than men
What is the prevalence of Cushing’s disease in the UK?
1-2 per million of the population each year
Who is most affected by Cushing’s disease in the UK?
women are more affected than men
usually diagnosed between 30-40 years
What is the prevalence of Graves’ disease in the UK?
accounts for 60-80% of thyrotoxicosis diagnoses
this equates to 420,000-560,000 cases
Who is most affected by Graves’ disease in the UK?
occurs mostly in women 30-60 years
What is type 1 diabetes?
an autoimmune disease that destroys the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that produce insulin
this prevents the body from being able to produce enough insulin to adequately regulate blood glucose levels
What is the function of insulin?
to bind to insulin receptors on the plasma membrane of liver and muscle cells
insulin enables the conversion of glucose into glycogen for storage (glycogenesis)
What happens if insulin is not produced?
excess amount of glucose present in the blood circulation
this causes hyperglycaemia (blood glucose >11 mmol/L, compared to 4-7 mmol/L in non-diabetics)
What are some of the long-term complications of type 1 diabetes?
blindness (retinopathy)
kidney failure (nephropathy)
foot ulceration leading to amputation (neuropathy)
premature heart disease, stroke and death
What interventions can greatly reduce the risk of complications caused by type 1 diabetes?
medication to maintain blood glucose levels within normal limits and reduce tissue damage
early detection and active management
What is type 2 diabetes?
a chronic metabolic condition characterised by insulin resistance (the body’s inability to effectively use insulin) and insufficient pancreatic insulin production
this causes hyperglycaemia
What are some of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
obesity physical inactivity raised blood pressure raised blood lipid levels certain ethnicities
Whar ethnicities are more at risk of type 2 diabetes (PHE, 2018)?
South Asian population - 6 times more likely than the white population
African and African-Caribbean population - 3 times more likely than the white population
What are some of the long-term complications of type 2 diabetes?
microvascular and macrovascular complications
a tendency to develop thrombosis
increased cardiovascular risk
retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy
reduced quality of life and life expectancy
What interventions can greatly reduce the risk of complications caused by type 2 diabetes?
patient education and self-management to make lifestyle changes and reduce complexities and possible side effects of therapy
What percentage of UK healthcare expenditure is related to diabetes care (PHE, 2018)?
UK healthcare - 5%
NHS - 9% (£8.8 billion per year)
What proportion of all people in hospital have diabetes (PHE, 2018)?
1 in 6
due to complications (e.g. amputation, blindness, kidney failure, stroke)
List some of the signs of hyperglycaemia.
polyuria
unintentional weight loss
infections (thrush, skin, bladder)
vomiting (ketone breath)