Review Articles in 2025

Oestrogen levels change after menopause and with weight gain above the normal BMI category, both of which can affect breast cancer risk and outcomes. This Review explores the current understanding of these associations.

In addition to having health benefits for those who perform it, exercise might alter parental physiology in ways that support metabolic function in offspring. In this Review, the authors discuss animal studies and data from human study participants that show how exercise affects the placenta, breast milk and sperm in ways that improve offspring health.

Hypophysitis is a rare disease characterized by inflammation of the pituitary gland that can cause hypopituitarism-related symptoms, headaches and visual disturbances. This Review discusses the current understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and clinical management of hypophysitis.

Healthy fetal and placental development depends upon the availability of appropriate nutrients and levels of oxygen, as well as optimal metabolism. In this Review, the authors discuss how metabolism affects feto–placental development by controlling several key mechanisms, including epigenetic changes and post-translational modification of key proteins.

There is a substantial link between thyroid disease, particularly hypothyroidism, and renal dysfunction, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). This Review explores the epidemiology and the molecular mechanisms of the relationship between thyroid dysfunction and CKD, and discusses therapeutic options.

Hypothyroidism is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This Review explores the physiological mechanisms behind the link between hypothyroidism and CVD, the epidemiological evidence and the role of thyroid hormone supplementation in reducing CVD risk.

There is growing recognition of the metabolic links between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and sarcopenia and the need to take these links into account when diagnosing and treating these two diseases. This Review covers connections between MASLD, sarcopenia and metabolic syndrome and discusses how care for patients affected by these diseases is evolving.

Cystic fibrosis is associated with multiple endocrine complications, which are caused by systemic dysfunction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein. In this Review, Moheet and colleagues describe these conditions, with particular emphasis on the effects of CFTR modulator therapy, as well as the challenges related to ageing in people with cystic fibrosis.

Participating in paid work is known to have beneficial effects; however, how diabetes mellitus might affect work participation is unclear. This Review outlines the available evidence and highlights research gaps.

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are associated with gain and loss of body weight, respectively. This Review discusses the epidemiological evidence for weight changes in thyroid dysfunction, the role of thyroid hormone in weight regulation, the effect of treatment and the implications for population health.

This Review explores the translation of senotherapeutics into clinical practice for metabolic disorders. The authors discuss the relationship between metabolic disorders and cellular senescence, current and emerging therapies, and the challenges of translating senotherapeutics into clinical practice for metabolic disorders.

Oestrogen is a key regulator in many metabolic processes, particularly in adipose tissue. This Review discusses the role of oestrogen in adipose tissue metabolism and its wider implications for systemic metabolic health.

In this Review, the authors cover how leptin and melanocortin signalling affect the response to infection by regulating immune cells and the nervous system. The authors also discuss how these signalling pathways might be targeted to improve this response and the potential adverse effects that should be considered as these treatments are investigated.

This Review describes the metabolic functions of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and the structural and functional changes that they undergo in diabetes mellitus. The authors discuss how diabetes mellitus reduces the ability of HDLs to act as antioxidants, control inflammation and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In the past decade, the therapeutic scope of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has expanded beyond glycaemic regulation in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this Review, Lim et al. discuss data from clinical studies of SGLT2 inhibitors, demonstrating their multifaceted cardiovascular, metabolic and renal effects, and elucidate the diverse mechanisms underpinning these benefits.

In this Review, the authors discuss the mechanisms by which diabetes mellitus can lead to kidney damage and describe the clinical characteristics of diabetic kidney disease. The Review also covers current treatments for diabetic kidney disease and new therapies that are being developed.

The global incidence of thyroid cancer rose sharply after the 1980s despite stable mortality rates. Chen and Haymart outline known and emerging risk factors for thyroid cancer and discuss strategies to address the public-health issues of thyroid cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

This Review summarizes our current understanding of how the skeleton regulates whole-body energy metabolism; rather than viewing bone as the core regulator of systemic energy metabolism, the authors suggest that bone contributes to the regulation of the complex processes underlying whole-body energy metabolism.

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is a key component of the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and there is increasing evidence that specific dietary interventions can improve metabolic health in T2DM independently of weight loss. This Review assesses several key MNT strategies for their efficacy in T2DM management.

Cases of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) have risen alarmingly since the 1990s, alongside a surge in metabolic diseases, particularly obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), among young populations. This Review synthesizes evidence regarding the association of obesity and T2DM with EOCRC.