Endocrinology Flashcards
Adrenocortical axis
Hypothalamus I CRH I Anterior Pituitary I ACTH I Adrenal gland I Cortisol
Primary adrenal insufficiency
Pathophysiology and examples
- Adrenal glands themselves are damaged, resulting in a reduction in secretion of cortisol and aldosterone
- Most common cause is autoimmune
- Example: Addisons
Secondary adrenal insufficiency
Pathophysiology and examples
- Result of inadequate ACTH stimulating the adrenal glands, resulting in low cortisol release
- Due to loss or damage of the pituitary gland
- Examples: pituitary surgical removal, infection, loss of blood flow, radiotherapy
- Sheehan’s syndrome: massive blood loss during childbirth leads to pituitary gland necrosis
Tertiary adrenal insufficiency
Pathophysiology and examples
- Result of inadequate CRH release by the hypothalamus
- Usually the result of long term oral steroids (>3 weeks) causing suppression of hypothalamus
- When exogenous steroids are suddenly withdrawn, the hypothalamus does not ‘wake up’ fast enough and endogenous steroids are not adequately produced
What is released by the anterior pituitary gland?
- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH)
- Growth hormone (GH)
- Prolactin
What is released by the posterior pituitary gland?
- Oxytocin
- Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
Diabetes
What is secreted by alpha cells
Glucagon
Diabetes
What is secreted by beta cells
Insulin
Diabetes
What is secreted by D-cells
Somatostatin
Diabetes
What is secreted by PP/F cells
Pancreatic polypeptides
Where are alpha- and beta- cells?
Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
Basic pathology of T1DM
Autoimmune disorder where the insulin-producing beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system
This results in an absolute deficiency of insulin resulting in raised glucose levels
Patients tend to develop T1DM in childhood/early adult life and typically present unwell, possibly in diabetic ketoacidosis
Basic pathology of T2DM
This is the most common cause of diabetes in the developed world. It is caused by a relative deficiency of insulin due to an excess of adipose tissue. In simple terms there isn’t enough insulin to ‘go around’ all the excess fatty tissue, leading to blood glucose creeping up.
Diagnosis of diabetes
Symptomatic AND one of:
- Fasting glucose > 7.0 mmol/L
- Random glucose > 11.1 mmol/L (or after 75 g OGTT after 2 hrs)
Asymptomatic:
- Above criteria but on two separate occasions
HbA1c:
- > 48 mmol/mol = diagnostic
Diabetes
Why do you get polydipsia and polyuria
Osmotic effect of water being ‘dragged’ out of body due to excess blood glucose being excrete in the urine (glycosuria)
What can cause a misleading HbA1c result?
Increased red cell turnover
DKA
Features
- Abdominal pain
- Polyuria, polydipsia, dehydration
- Kussmaul respiration (deep hyperventilation)
- Acetone-smelling breath (‘pear drops’ smell)
T1DM
Use of HbA1c
- Not as useful in patients with possible/suspected diagnosis of T1DM as it may not accurately reflect a recent rapid rise in serum glucose
T1DM
C-peptide
- Levels are typically LOW in T1DM
Diabetes
Autoantibodies
- Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD): 80% T1DM
- Islet cell antibodies (ICA, against cytoplasmic proteins in the beta cells): 70-80% T1DM
- Insulin autoantibodies (IAA): 90% of young children with T1DM and 60% of older patients
- Insulinoma-associated-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A)
T1DM
Classic presentations
- Ketosis
- Rapid weight loss
- Age of onset below 50 years
- BMI below 25 kg/m²
- Personal and/or family history of autoimmune disease
How to differentiate T1DM and T2Dm if in doubt?
- Autoantibodies
- C-peptide
T2DM
Use of HbA1c
- > 48 diagnostic of T2DM
- < 48 does not necessarily exclude T2DM
Conditions where HbA1c may not be used for diagnosis
- Haemoglobinopathies
- Haemolytic anaemia
- Untreated iron deficiency anaemia
- Suspected gestational diabetes
- Children
- HIV
- Chronic kidney disease
- People taking meds causing hyperglycaemia (e.g. corticosteroids)
Impaired fasting glucose
A fasting glucose greater than or equal to 6.1 but less than 7.0 mmol/l implies impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
Impaired glucose tolerance
Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is defined as fasting plasma glucose less than 7.0 mmol/l and OGTT 2-hour value greater than or equal to 7.8 mmol/l but less than 11.1 mmol/l
People with IFG should then be offered an oral glucose tolerance test to rule out a diagnosis of diabetes. A result below 11.1 mmol/l but above 7.8 mmol/l indicates that the person doesn’t have diabetes but does have IGT
Hypertensive management in diabetes
Targets
Age < 80 yrs:
- Clinic 140/90
- ABPM 135/85
Age > 80 yrs
- Clinic 150/90
- ABPM 145/85
Hypertensive management in diabetes
1st line
- ACE-I/ARB due to renoprotective effect in diabetes
- ARB preferred for black African or African-Caribbean diabetic patients
- Further management reverts back to that of non-diabetic patients
Beta-blockers in diabetes
- The routine use of beta-blockers in uncomplicated hypertension should be avoided, particularly when given in combination with thiazides
- They may cause insulin resistance, impair insulin secretion and alter the autonomic response to hypoglycaemia.
T1DM
HbA1c target
48 mmol/mol or lower
T1DM
HbA1c
How often should it be measured
Every 3-6 months
T1DM
Patient monitoring
- Measure BM QDS at least
- Before each meal and before bed
- More often if high frequency of hypoglycaemia episodes, e.g. illness, sport, planning pregnancy, whilst breastfeeding
T1DM
Blood glucose targets
5-7 mmol/l on waking and
4-7 mmol/l before meals at other times of the day
T1DM
Types of insulin
- Offer multiple daily injection basal–bolus insulin regimens, rather than twice‑daily mixed insulin regimens, as the insulin injection regimen of choice for all adults
- Twice‑daily insulin detemir is the regime of choice. Once-daily insulin glargine or insulin degludec is an alternative.
- Offer rapid‑acting insulin analogues (insulin aspart, insulin lispro, and insulin glulisine) injected immediately before meals, rather than rapid‑acting soluble human or animal insulins, for mealtime insulin replacement for adults with type 1 diabetes
T1DM
When might you consider adding Metformin?
If BMI > 25 kg/m
T2DM
HbA1c targets
It’s worthwhile thinking of the average patient who is taking metformin for T2DM, you can titrate up metformin and encourage lifestyle changes to aim for a HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol (6.5%), but should only add a second drug if the HbA1c rises to 58 mmol/mol (7.5%).
Once on a second drug, aim for 53 mmol/mol (7%).
If on any drug with risk of hypoglycaemia, e.g. lifestyle advice and sulfonylurea –> aim for 53 mmol/mol
T2DM
Dietary advice
- Encourage high fibre, low glycaemic index sources of carbs
- Low-fat dairy products
- Oily fish
- Discourage foods marketed specifically at diabetes
- Initial target weight loss in obesity = 5-10%
Diabetes and ramadam
- They should try and and eat a meal containing long-acting carbohydrates prior to sunrise (Suhoor)
- Patients should be given a blood glucose monitor to allow them to check their glucose levels, particularly if they feel unwell
- For patients taking metformin the expert consensus is that the dose should be split one-third before sunrise (Suhoor) and two-thirds after sunset (Iftar)
- Expert consensus also recommends switching once-daily sulfonylureas to after sunset. For patients taking twice-daily preparations such as gliclazide it is recommended that a larger proportion of the dose is taken after after sunset
- No adjustment is needed for patients taking pioglitazone
DM
General sick day rules
- Increased BM monitorign frequency
- Increased fluid intake (3 litres in 24 hrs)
- Sugary drinks if unable to eat
- Box of ‘sick day supplies’
- Access to mobile phone
DM
Sick day rules on oral hypoglycaemics
If taking oral hypoglycaemics:
- Continue taking
- Stress response with increase cortisol and push sugars high even without oral itnake
- Though stop metformin if very dehydrated (renal impairment risk)
DM
Sick day rules on insulin
- DO NOT STOP (risk of DKA)
- Continue normal regime but check blood more frequently
- Check ketone levels and if raised along with glucose then give corrective dose of insulin (total daily insulin divided by 6 - max dose 15 units)
DM
Sick day rules
Factors indicating possible admission
- Underlyinf illness requirign admission, e.g. MI
- Inability to keep fluids down (> few hours)
- Persistent diarrhoea
- Significant ketosis in insulin dependent diabetic despite additional insulin
- BM > 20 despite additional insulin
- Unable to manage adjustments to usually diabetes management
- Lack of support at home (lives alone, at risk of becoming unconscious)
Diabetes and driving - criteria for HGV licence
- There has not been any severe hypoglycaemic event in the previous 12 months
- The driver has full hypoglycaemic awareness
- The driver must show adequate control of the condition by regular blood glucose monitoring*, at least twice daily and at times relevant to driving
- The driver must demonstrate an understanding of the risks of hypoglycaemia
- Tere are no other debarring complications of diabetes
Diabetic foot disease
Causes x2
- Neuropathy: resulting in loss of protective sensation, e.g. not noticing a stone in the shoe. Also Charcot’s arthropathy or dry skin.
- Peripheral arterial disease: DM is a RF for both macro and microvascular ischaemia
Diabetic foot disease
Presentation
- Neuropathy - loss of sensation
- Ischaemia - absent foot pulses, reduced ABPI, intermittent claudication
Diabetic foot disease
Complications
- Calluses
- Ulceration
- Charcot’s arthropathy
- Cellulitis
- Osteomyelitis
- Gangrene
Diabetic foot disease
Screening
- Annually (at least)
- Screening for ischaemia: palpate dorsalis pedis pulse and posterior tibialis pulse
- Screening for neuropathy: a 10 g monofilament is used on various parts of sole of the foot
Diabetic foot diease
Low risk
- No RFs except callus alone
Diabetic foot disease
Moderate risk
One of:
- Deformity
- Neuropathy
- Non-critical limb ischaemia
Diabetic foot disease
High risk
One of:
- Previous ulceration
- Previous amputation
- On renal replacement therapy
- Neuropathy and non-critical limb ischaemia together
- Neuropathy in combination with callus and/or deformity
- Non-critical limb ischaemia in combination with callus and/or deformity
Diabetic foot disease
Management
Moderate to high risk should be followed up regularly by local diabetic foot centre
DKA
Management
- FLUIDS
- If kid -> give fluids for 1 hr first before insulin
- IV insulin (0.1 unit/kg/hr) of 5% dextrose
- Correction of electrolyte disturbance (often high K+ to start but will drop with insulin so monitor and consider replacement)
- Long-acting insulin should be continued !!! Short-term insulin should be stopped !!!