Endocrine System

Recently Answered

• QWhat foods can help keep my pancreas healthy?

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  A RealAge answered

  When you want a healthy, happy pancreas, you've got plenty of foods to choose from. Try these, for instance:

  • Fish, eggs and poultry
  • D-fortified cereals and dairy
  • Onion and arugula: They're tasty on sandwiches and pack the special cancer-clubbing flavonols. Seems these two veggies not only add tasty, gourmet-style crunch to food but also fill you up with potent nutrients thought to help thwart pancreatic cancer.
  • In an 8-year study, people who consumed the highest levels of three powerful flavonols—kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin—reduced their risk of pancreatic cancer by 23 percent—no doubt due to the fact that this super trio of flavonols helps quell oxidative stress, a cell-damaging process that, left unchecked, may pave the way for cancer and other bad health news. Onions and certain leafy greens like arugula are one way to get these particular flavonols. Here are some others:
    • kaempferol: kale, Swiss chard, endive, raw spinach, chives and white beans
    • quercetin: asparagus, apples, buckwheat and tea
    • myricetin: fennel, blueberries, cranberries and carob flour

  Do you smoke? Take heart in the fact that the smokers in the study were particularly benefited by high flavonol intake, with kaempferol providing the most protection. That said, smoking still raises your risk of pancreatic cancer significantly.

• QWhat is the role of hormones in the body?

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  A RealAge answered

  When we think about hormones, those such as testosterone and estrogen likely first come to mind, but there’s so much more to our endocrine system than the sex hormones that command our reproductive cycle. Every second of every day you have dozens of hormones acting in your body to get certain physiologic functions accomplished. This includes reactions taking place in the skin, too. Physiologically speaking, hormones control much of what we feel, be it tired, hungry, horny, hot or cold. They control the rates of certain chemical reactions, assist in transporting substances through membranes and help regulate water balance, electrolyte balance and blood pressure. They manage development, growth, reproduction and behavior.

  Put simply, hormones are the body’s little messengers, which get produced in one part of the body, such as the thyroid, adrenal or pituitary gland, pass into the bloodstream or other body fluid and go to distant organs and tissues where they act to modify structures and functions. They are like traffic signals, telling our body what to do and when so it can run smoothly and efficiently. Hormones are as much a part of our reproductive system as they are a part of our urinary, respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, muscular, skeletal, immun and digestive system.

  From The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Less Stress, Gorgeous Skin, and a Whole New You by Amy Wechsler.

   

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• QIs hormone replacement therapy (HRT) safe?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  There are many benefits to taking exogenous sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and sometimes testosterone as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause. HRT can improve mood, hot flashes, vaginal dryness or atrophy and even libido. For some women this can also help slow down bone loss leading to osteoporosis. Primary risks include thromboembolic events such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or stroke, especially in estrogen-containing products. Other risks include the development of estrogen-dependent cancers. It is important to review your personal risk factors prior to starting HRT.

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• QWhat are hormones?

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  A Discovery Health answered

  Scientists discovered the existence of hormones in the late 1890s. A hormone, which is an organic product of living cells, regulates specific cellular activities, such as reproduction and growth.

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• QWhat is insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)?

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  A Jumo Health answered

  Growth hormone, which is made in the brain’s pituitary gland, tells the liver and other parts of the body to release another hormone called Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is made in the liver, then heads out into the bloodstream and travels to the bones and muscles. IGF-1 is also made in the bones, where it helps them to grow. As bones grow longer, people grow taller.

• QWhat do glands do?

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  A Jumo Health answered

  The job of the glands in the body is to make hormones. Hormones are chemicals that carry messages from one part of the body to another via the bloodstream. The pituitary gland in the brain makes a hormone called growth hormone, which helps the body grow. 

• QHow are neuroendocrine/carcinoid tumors diagnosed?

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  A Dr. Benjamin Samstein, MD , Transplant Surgery, answered on behalf of Columbia University Department of Surgery

  Carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors are usually diagnosed with a biopsy. An octreotide scan can show the tumor if carcinoid is suspected.
• QHow much pain will I have after parathyroid surgery?

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  A American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered

  Most patients tolerate the pain after parathyroid surgery fairly well. For some only an acetaminophen or Ibuprofen will suffice. All patients will be given a prescription for a narcotic pain medication (Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycodone etc) to use for breakthrough pain. Most will feel better in a few short days. If the pain has worsened, or is associated with redness or swelling around the scar, please contact your surgeon promptly.
  For more information go the endocrinediseases.org:
  Parathyroid Gland: Recovery
• QWhat types of adrenal gland surgery are available?

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  A American Association of Endocrine Surgeons answered

  There are a number of types of operations to remove the adrenal gland. The appropriate approach will ultimately be determined by:

  • tumor size
  • patient characteristics (body size and shape, medical conditions, previous operations, etc.)
  • the experience and expertise of the surgeon.

  The two main types of adrenalectomy are open and laparoscopic adrenalectomy. For very large tumors and for tumors with a high risk of cancer, the open approach is still preferred. For both open and laparoscopic adrenalectomy, there are a number of different techniques and variations. In general, the approach used depends on the tumor, patient characteristics (such as body size/shape and previous abdominal surgery) as well as surgeon expertise. For this reason, the most important thing is to find an experienced surgeon.