Articles in 2015

In a retrospective multicentre study of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, islet transplantation was associated with sustained HbA_1c levels of <7% and freedom from severe hypoglycaemia for 5 years in 60% of immunosuppressed recipients, including those with recurrent severe pretransplant hypoglycaemia. Will islet transplant utilization in patient care now expand?

Developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors is suspected to be one of the main factors responsible for the increased incidence of breast cancer in industrialized countries. New data published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism show that exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane during fetal life is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) have a near total absence of body fat owing to mutations in genes involved in lipid storage. This Review describes the genetic pathophysiology of the four main forms of CGL and makes recommendations for their appropriate diagnosis and management. Specific therapies for CGL are currently limited, but the authors highlight novel drugs currently in development to treat this condition.

The long-term follow-up of the Veteran Affairs Diabetes Trial is important for researchers and clinicians. For the former, this study supports the conclusion that dysglycaemia causes cardiovascular outcomes; for the latter, it shows that in high-risk individuals, the benefits of lowering glucose are modest and take a long time to emerge.

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) regulates the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), levels of which are decreased in various metabolic disorders and during ageing. Here, Antje Garten and colleagues discuss the physiological functions of NAMPT and its relevance in various human diseases and conditions such as obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer and ageing.

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH)—a rare disorder caused by deficient production, secretion or action of gonadotropin-releasing hormone—results in an absence of puberty and infertility. Here, Ulrich Boehm and colleagues summarize approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of CHH in light of recent discoveries. This Consensus Statement differs from existing guidelines for the treatment of hypogonadism as it focuses exclusively on CHH.

Injectable testosterone esters and transdermal testosterone gels have generally been assumed to be equally safe and effective forms of testosterone-replacement therapy for male hypogonadism. Now, findings from a recent study suggest that transdermal testosterone gels are superior to injectable testosterone esters in terms of reducing cardiovascular events, all-cause hospitalizations and all-cause mortality.