Plasma estradiol concentration in healthy post menopausal women with dietary fat reduction

Concentrations of bound plasma estradiol were significantly [P < 0.1] reduced in eighty five healthy postmenopausal women after 12 weeks of participation in a low-fat diet program. Nonsignificant reduction in estrone sulfate and sex hormone-binding protein were observed. An average reduction in daily dietary fat from 70.3 to 30.5 g. was also accompanied by an average reduction of 14 mg/dl in total plasma cholesterol [P < 0.001], and an average weight loss of 4.1 kg [P < 0.001]. There is a relation between the 19 percent reduction in plasma estradiol and the incidence of breast cancer and further studies to elucidate this relationship are needed

effect of treatment of Grave's disease on the course of ophthalmopathy

The incidence and progression of ophthalmopathy were compared retrospectively in 150 patients with Graves' disease treated with either radio-active iodine [131 I, N = 50], antithyroid drug [N=50]. None of the patients received prior treatment for hyperthyroidism. The severity of ophthalmopathy at presentation, as analyzed according to the modified NOSPECS classification and the thyroid function were similar in the three treatment groups. Six Patients had ophthalmopathy at about eighteen months before the development of biochemical hyperthyroidism [range 3 to 24 months]. For patients with ocular signs at presentation, the incidence of progression of ophthalmopathy was similar with each form of treatment. As a group, all forms of treatment resulted in improvement of ophthalmopathy with the control of hyperthyroidism. Forty six patients with no eye sign at presentation developed post-treatment ophthalmopathy. 131I and surgery were associated with more severe eye disease [NOSPECS Class 4-6] although the incidence of post-treatment ophthalmopathy was lower than with antithyroid drug treatment [2 percent versus 7 percent respectively]. Among the patients characteristics, male sex, older age [>35 ys] and lower initial T4 levels were found to be correlated with a higher chance of developing severe post-treatment ophthalmopathy. Furthermore the progression or development of ophthalmopathy could occur equally during hyper, hypo-, or euthyroid state. We conclude that the incidence and the degree of progression of ophthalmopathy in patients who already had exophthalmos before treatment were not influenced by the form of therapy for thyrotoxicosis, but 131I treatment and surgery were associated with the development of more severe post treatment ophthalmopathy compared to antithyroid drug treatment

diagnosis of euthyroid graves disease

Twenty patients complaining of eye symptoms, nervousness, palpitation and fatigue and suspected of having grave's disease were diagnosed as euthyroid grave's disease by laboratory data. Antithyroid antibodies and an abnormal TSH response to exogenous TRH were demonstrable denoting abnormalities of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal thyroid axis