The endocrinology of aging
Background As with all other organ systems, the endocrine axes are subject to physiological and pathological changes with aging. The purpose of this chapter is to assist the reader in…
Transgender endocrinology
Introduction The distinction between gender, a psychosocial identity rooted in masculinity and/or femininity, and sex assigned at birth, or the appearance of male versus female reproductive organs defined by chromosomal…
Pregnancy and the fetus
Introduction Pregnant women constitute a uniquely challenging patient population as clinical decisions cannot be made solely on the basis of the woman’s needs but must also consider the impact of…
Laboratory evaluation of endocrine hypertension
Introduction Hypertension is common, silent, and often deadly when not successfully treated . Hypertension’s initial presentation can include cardiovascular disease (CVD) or renal disease . Although many sources associate hypertension…
Disorders of calcium metabolism
Introduction Calcium is vital to many aspects of human biology . For example, calcium is involved in intracellular and intercellular signal transmissions, muscular contraction, coagulation, and bone biology. The body…
Laboratory evaluation of short stature in children
Introduction The evaluation of short stature in children requires a skilled interaction between the clinician and the laboratorian in order to provide a cost-effective and expedient diagnostic assessment of the…
Laboratory assessment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome endocrinopathies
Individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may manifest symptoms and signs of endocrine disorders or may present with incidental abnormal endocrine laboratory values…
Malignancy-associated endocrine disorders
Introduction Overall, cancers of the endocrine system comprise 3.1% of the 1,806,590 new cancer cases estimated for 2020 . The majority of cases (95%) are attributed to thyroid cancer, which…
Evaluation of hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia: acute versus chronic Hyperglycemia is defined as an elevated plasma glucose (PG) concentration. Hyperglycemia can be classified as transient (acute) or sustained (chronic). Chronic hyperglycemia constitutes diabetes mellitus (which…
Lipoproteins
Background Two of the most abundant lipid components in plasma are cholesterol and triglycerides (TG); however, both are virtually insoluble in water. To be transported to various tissues, these lipids…
