Clinical endocrinology
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Clinical endocrinology · Jul 2012
Intensity of pituitary adenoma on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging predicts the response to octreotide treatment in newly diagnosed acromegaly.
Primary, preoperative medical treatment is an option in selected patients with acromegaly, but a subset of patients respond poorly. Valid prediction of response to somatostatin analogues (SA) might thus alter treatment stratification. The aims of this study were to assess whether T2 signal intensity could determine long-term response to first-line SA treatment and to assess clinical and biochemical baseline characteristics, as well as histological subtype in relation to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances. ⋯ In patients with acromegaly, T2 signal intensity at diagnosis correlates with histological features and predicts biochemical outcome of first-line SA treatment.
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Clinical endocrinology · Jul 2012
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults aged 25 years and older: a national, population-based study.
Vitamin D deficiency is recognized as a global public health problem, but the population-based prevalence of deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults is not known. This study evaluated the vitamin D status of Australian adults aged ≥25 years and risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in this population. ⋯ Vitamin D deficiency is common in Australia affecting nearly one-third of adults aged ≥25 years. This indicates that strategies are needed at the population level to improve vitamin D status of Australians.