Endocrine System

Your endocrine system works with your nervous system to control important bodily functions. The endocrine systems responsibilities include regulating growth, sexual development and function, metabolism and mood. The endocrine system also helps give your body the energy it needs to function properly. Endocrine glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones are considered chemical messengers, coordinating your body by transferring information from one set of cells to another. Your endocrine system health can be affected by hormone imbalances resulting from impaired glands. A hormone imbalance can cause problems with bodily growth, sexual development, metabolism and other bodily functions. Endocrine system diseases or conditions include diabetes, growth disorders and osteoporosis.

Recently Answered

QWhat role does testosterone have in regulating an erection?

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A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

Testosterone is not directly involved in erections, but low levels of the male hormone can diminish a man’s desire for sex, contribute to feeling sluggish and tired and cause erectile dysfunction (ED). Low testosterone levels may be caused by another health condition that makes it difficult for a man to get or maintain an erection, such as depression, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure.
QWhat hormones do the ovaries produce?

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A Sigma Nursing answered

Ovaries produce reproductive hormones, both estrogen and progesterone. These hormones regulate your monthly periods. Progesterone is the hormone that prepares your body for pregnancy. As these hormone levels begin to decline, your body will experience the changes of menopause.

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QWhat are the symptoms of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2)?

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A Jumo Health answered

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) causes different symptoms depending on which glands are affected.

MEN2 tumors in the parathyroid glands mess up the body's calcium balance. Too many hormones released by the tumor means too much calcium in the blood. This makes people feel tired and weak. The extra calcium also makes people thirsty, so they feel like they need to pee all the time. Too much calcium also causes muscle weakness and bone pain, and over time, can damage the kidneys.

A MEN2 tumor in the adrenal glands causes the glands to produce more adrenaline than the body needs. Too much adrenaline from tumors in the adrenal glands can make people feel sweaty and anxious. People can get headaches too, and it might feel like their heart is beating really fast.

Tumors in the gut can make people constipated, or even sometimes cause diarrhea.
QWhat is hypoparathyroidism?

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A RealAge answered
Hypoparathyroidism is a rare condition in which the four tiny parathyroid glands located in your neck do not produce sufficient amounts of parathyroid hormone (PTH). This hormone works in concert with vitamin D and another hormone, calcitonin (produced by the thyroid gland) to help control levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood and bones. If you have hypoparathyroidism, your levels of calcium are too low and your levels of phosphorus are too high.

Symptoms of hypoparathyroidism (most of which are due to too low levels of calcium) are wide-ranging and may include:

hair loss or dry hair

brittle nails

dry and/or scaly skin

cataracts

muscle cramps and/or spasms

pain in the face, legs and feet

painful menstruation (in women)

seizures

tingling in lips, fingers and toes

poor tooth development and/or weakened tooth enamel and tooth decay (in children)

headaches

vomiting

stunted growth and slow mental development (in children)

mood swings

hoarseness or voice changes

wheezing or other difficulty breathing

The most common cause of hypoparathyroidism is damage to the parathyroid glands during surgery. Other medical treatments (radiation to the thyroid gland or some medications) may also cause the condition. In rare cases, hypoparathryoidism is caused by a genetic condition and infants are born with underdeveloped or no parathyroid glands. Certain underlying conditions (some cancers, neck trauma, Addison disease, Wilson’s disease or abnormal levels of iron or magnesium in the body) may also cause hypoparathyroidism.
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QHow does a person get multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2)?

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A Jumo Health answered

People get multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) from their parents. MEN2 runs in families. It's passed down from generation to generation through genes. This means that if one parent has MEN2, there's a 50 percent chance that his or her child will have it, too.
QHow is multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) diagnosed?

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A Jumo Health answered

To diagnose multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) doctors use a series of tests. First, the doctor will check the blood's hormone levels. The doctor might also do a urine test to check the amount of hormones in the body. The doctor will also do scans of the head, neck and stomach. The scans take detailed pictures of the inside of the body to detect any tumors in the glands.
QWhich gonadotropins stimulate the ovaries?

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A HealthyWomen answered
Gonadotropins are hormones -- luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) -- that are given via injection to stimulate ovulation. Gonadotropins stimulate the ovaries directly. They include the following:

Human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) is an injected medication. HMG (Repronex, Menopur) stimulates the ovaries directly, and is used for women who do not ovulate on their own.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) directly stimulates the follicles and eggs to grow. FSH drug brand names include Gonal-F, Bravelle and Follistim.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) stimulates the egg to mature and the follicle to release its egg.
QWhat is secondary hyperparathyroidism?

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A Dr. Jack Merendino, MD , Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answered

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a situation in which the parathyroid glands are producing a large amount of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to compensate for another problem. One can easily measure parathyroid hormone levels, and there is a “normal” range, but the range is really meaningless unless one also knows the blood calcium level. PTH is designed to raise the blood calcium. If the calcium level is low, the PTH should be high, so a higher-than-normal level means that the parathyroid glands are doing their job properly. This is what’s called secondary hyperparathyroidism -- the PTH levels are high, but they should be high because there is something else causing the blood calcium level to be low and the PTH goes up to try to compensate.

There are many causes of secondary hyperparathyroidism, but by far the most common is some form of vitamin D deficiency. Severe deficiency of standard 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 levels (lets call this 25-D), which is the form of vitamin D that is usually measured in the blood, will sometimes cause secondary hyperparathyroidism. Much more commonly, the problem results from an inability of the body to convert this form of vitamin D to the more active form, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (we’ll call this 1,25-D). Conversion of 25-D to 1,25-D takes place in the kidney and many people with kidney problems -- sometimes even with what appear to be mild kidney problems -- can’t properly convert vitamin D and will develop secondary hyperparathyroidism. This condition results in a low blood calcium, a low blood phosphorus, a form of bone disease called osteomalacia, which is similar to osteoporosis but is corrected by 1,25-D, and possibly muscle weakness. This problem is surprisingly common and is frequently not recognized. Treatment with an oral form of active 1,25-D is highly effective at correcting the problem. When the 1,25-D level rises, and when the blood calcium is restored to normal, the PTH levels will also fall back into the normal range.
QWhat is parathyroid hormone (PTH)?

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A Dr. Jack Merendino, MD , Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answered
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a key regulator of calcium and bone metabolism. PTH is made by the parathyroid glands which are located in the neck, just adjacent to the thyroid, though their function is completely separate from the thyroid. Most people have 4 glands, two on each side, one near the upper end of the thyroid gland on that side and one near the lower. Occasionally the glands may be found outside of their usual location, because they start out in one location during embryonic development and migrate or move as the fetus matures. Occasionally a parathyroid gland will seemingly get “stuck” somewhere along that migratory path. This is important only when a gland becomes overactive and needs to be removed surgically. It may be difficult to find a gland in an unexpected location unless you are a very skilled surgeon or do just the right radiographic tests to locate the gland.

The main role of PTH is to help keep the blood calcium level normal. This is critical because many physiologic processes require a precise calcium level in the blood. When the level of calcium in the blood starts to fall, the parathyroid glands release additional PTH. PTH does three main things:

PTH increases the amount of active vitamin D in the body, which results in more calcium being absorbed from the food we eat.

PTH causes the release of stored calcium from bone into the bloodstream.

PTH causes calcium to be absorbed back into the body from urine that is being made.

These three actions together result in an increase in blood calcium levels.

Parathyroid hormone is used as a medication in two settings. First, one form of synthetic parathyroid hormone (drug name Forteo) is used to treat osteoporosis. Second, another form of parathyroid hormone (drug name NetPara) is used to treat hypoparathyroidism -- a condition of too little parathyroid hormone in the body. Hypoparathyroidism usually results from the accidental removal of all 4 parathyroid glands when one undergoes thyroid surgery, though there are other causes as well.
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.