9^th Annual Congress on Endocrine Disorders and Therapies October 30-31, 2017
(10 Plenary Forums - 1 Event)
Chicago, Illinois, USA

Hormones are chemical messengers that have diverse chemical structures including eicosanoids, steroids, amino acid derivatives, peptides, and proteins that are secreted into the blood, which carries them to organs and tissues of the body to exert their functions. They are essential for every activity of life, including the processes of such as digestion, metabolism, respiration, tissue function, sensory perception, sleep, excretion, lactation, stress, growth and development, movement, reproduction, and mood. Many hormones, such as neurotransmitters, are active in more than one physical process.

Obesity is highly associated with various endocrine abnormalities that are characterized by hormonal imbalance and/or resistance. Weight reduction generally normalizes these endocrine alterations, implicating obesity as a direct cause. Being overweight or obese predisposes an individual to many medical problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, depression and some types of cancer. In the United States, the frequency of these conditions is increasing at epidemic rates.

Overproduction of a pituitary gland hormone leads to an overactive adrenal gland. A similar condition called Cushing's syndrome may occur in people, particularly children, who take high doses of corticosteroid medications. It is a cause of Cushing's syndrome characterized by increased secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary. This is most often as a result of a pituitary adenoma or due to excess production of hypothalamus CRH that stimulates the synthesis of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Pituitary adenomas are responsible for 80% of endogenous Cushing's syndrome, when excluding Cushing's syndrome from exogenously administered corticosteroids.

Overproduction of growth hormone causes excessive growth. In children, the condition is called gigantism. In adults, it is called acromegaly. Growth hormone stimulates the growth of bones, muscles, and many internal organs. Excessive growth hormone, therefore, leads to abnormally robust growth of all of these tissues. Overproduction of growth hormone is almost always caused by a noncancerous (benign) pituitary tumor (adenoma). Certain rare tumors of the pancreas and lungs also can produce hormones that stimulate the pituitary to produce excessive amounts of growth hormone, with similar consequences.

The thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, leading to fatigue, constipation, dry skin, and depression. The underactive gland can cause slowed development in children. Some types of hypothyroidism are present at birth. Hypothyroidism can be treated with levothyroxine. The dose is adjusted according to symptoms and normalization of the thyroxine and TSH levels. Thyroid medication is safe in pregnancy. While a certain amount of dietary iodine is important, excessive amounts can worsen certain types of hypothyroidism.

These are rare, genetic conditions are passed down through families. They cause tumors of the parathyroid, adrenal, and thyroid glands, leading to overproduction of hormones. The cause of MEN II is a defect in a gene called RET. This defect causes many tumors to appear in the same person, but not necessarily at the same time. The disorder may occur at any age, and affects men and women equally. The main risk factor is a family history of MEN II.

Overproduction of androgens interfere with the development of eggs and their release from the female ovaries. PCOS is a leading cause of infertility. Polycystic ovary syndrome is a problem in which a woman hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS also may cause unwanted changes in the way you look. If it isn't treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Hormones are chemical messengers that trigger many different processes, including growth and energy production. Often, the job of one hormone is to signal the release of another hormone.

The most frequent type of pituitary disorder is a pituitary gland tumor. These tumors are fairly common in adults. They are not brain tumors and are almost always benign. Not all pituitary tumors cause symptoms. Pituitary tumors that make hormones can cause a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the hormone they produce. The signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors that don't make hormones are related to their growth and the pressure they put on other structures.

The pituitary is the "master control gland" - it makes hormones that affect growth and the functions of other glands in the body. With pituitary disorders, you often have too much or too little of one of your hormones. Injuries can cause pituitary disorders, but the most common cause is a pituitary tumor. Pituitary gland disorders can affect many different parts of the body.  Conditions such as acromegaly, Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism, and hypogonadism all may result from pituitary gland disease.

Sex hormone disorders occur when there is either an overproduction or underproduction of the hormones responsible for sexual characteristics and development. In females, the main female hormone is estrogen which is primarily produced by the ovaries. Women also produce androgens. Testosterone and DHEAS are two of the androgens women produce. When these hormones are not in balance women may experience symptoms including menstrual cycle irregularities, hirsutism, acne and alopecia. In males, the main male hormone is testosterone. When males do not produce enough testosterone they may experience a decline in libido, erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle and loss of body hair.

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of the most dangerous heart attack risk factors: diabetes and prediabetes, abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to die from, and three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared with people without the syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome have a five-fold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Up to 80% of the 200 million people with diabetes globally will die of cardiovascular disease. This puts metabolic syndrome and diabetes way ahead of HIV/AIDS in morbidity and mortality terms yet the problem is not as well recognised.

Hypertension is caused due to the elevation in the blood pressure levels which is defined as systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg. Endocrine hypertension is the raise of hypertension caused by the imbalance of hormones. This frequently involves the pituitary or adrenal gland. The person who is more likely to have hypertension before the age of 30 with a strong family history of adrenal gland tumors , hypertension or develop hypokalemia should undergo endocrine hypertension screening. the endocrine hypertension can be caused due to the over or less production of hormone or when effected by tumors.

Adrenoleukodystrophy also known as ALD is a genetic disease or an inborn error of metabolism that affects 1 in 18000 people today. This is also known as X linked adrenoleukodystrophy as it is linked to x chromosome. This is a brain disorder that is caused due to the building up of fatty acids which are caused by the enzymes which do not function properly. This results in the destruction of the myelin sheath which is known as a protective sheath that surrounds the neurons in the brain. The destruction of the myelin sheath results in hyperactivity and seizures and also dyslexia. It’s a disorder of peroxisomal fatty acid beta oxidation which results in the accumulation of long fatty acid chains in the body. The adrenal cortex and leydig cells in the testes are also effected. The treatment options for ALD are very limited. Dietary therapy is done by Lorenzo oil. If the defect is spotted in the childhood treatment can be done by stem cell transplant and gene therapy.

Cryptorchidism is the highly common genital problem that is encountered in pediatrics. This is detected by the absence of one or both testes from the scrotum and generally refers to an undescended or maldescended testis. About 3% of full-term and 30% of premature infant boys are born with at least one undescended testis. This may develop after the infant stage or during the late adulthood ( but this is exceptional ). Cryptorchidism is a from of monorchism, the condition of having only one testicle. The condition may occur on one or both sides; it more commonly affects the right testis.. cryptorchidism nearly always refers to congenital absence or maldescent, a testis observed in the scrotum in early infancy can occasionally "reascend" into the inguinal canal.

Thyroid cancer is a tumorous condition that arises when abnormal cells begin to grow in the thyroid gland. The gland resembles a butterfly shape located infront of the neck. This is originated from follicular and parafollicular cells. This can be detected in the early stage and can be cured in the early stage. This cancer may revert back after the treatment after many years or immediately. The causes are detected as the changes in the DNA in the cells that are likely to inherit from one generation to the other generation. The malignant tumors can be removed by a process known as thyroidectomy followed by the radioactive iodine ablation and TSH suppression therapy. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy can also be done during the metastasis stage or the advanced cancer stage

Neuroendocrine cancer is a malignant tumour that starts in neuroendocrine cells. Neuroendocrine tumors most commonly occur in the intestine, where they are often called carcinoma tumors.  Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors form in hormone-making cells (islet cells) of the pancreas. They may or may not cause signs or symptoms. Neuroendocrine small cell cancer accounts for approximately 15% of bronchogenic carcinomas.