ABSTRACT
Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NC-CAH), one of the most common genetic disorders, is often associated with the presence of hyperandrogenism. Recently both simvastatin and metformin were found to reduce plasma steroid hormone levels in this disorder. This study included 8 women with NC-CAH and diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, as well as 12 matched women with similar glucose metabolism abnormalities but normal adrenal function. Both groups of women, receiving metformin for at least 6 months, were then treated with simvastatin (20 mg daily) for the following 12 weeks. Compared to patients with normal adrenal function, metformin-treated women with NC-CAH showed increased plasma levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone, total testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione and DHEA-S. Simvastatin reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels in both patients with NC-CAH and normal adrenal function. Moreover, in the former group of women, statin therapy decreased plasma levels of testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and tended to reduce 17-hydroxyprogesterone. Our results suggest that metformin-statin combination therapy may be useful in the management of symptomatic women with NC-CAH.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/blood , Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital/drug therapy , Gonadal Steroid Hormones/blood , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Metformin/pharmacology , Simvastatin/pharmacology , Adult , Female , Humans , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage , Metformin/administration & dosage , Middle Aged , Simvastatin/administration & dosageABSTRACT
The study included 38 non-lactating l-thyroxine-treated women with postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) and 21 matched healthy postpartum women. Women with vitamin D deficiency were treated with oral vitamin D (4000 IU daily), whereas women with vitamin D insufficiency and women with normal 25-hydroxy vitamin levels were either treated with vitamin D (2000 IU daily) or left untreated. Serum hormone levels and thyroid antibody titers were measured at the beginning of the study and 3 months later. 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were lower in women with PPT than in healthy women. Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibody titers inversely correlated with vitamin D status. Apart from increasing serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D and decreasing serum levels of parathyroid hormone, vitamin D reduced titers of thyroid peroxidase antibodies and this effect was stronger in women with vitamin D deficiency. The study's results suggest that vitamin D supplementation may bring benefits to l-thyroxine-treated women with PPT.
Subject(s)
Autoantibodies/blood , Postpartum Thyroiditis/immunology , Vitamin D Deficiency/immunology , Vitamin D/immunology , Vitamins/immunology , Adult , Autoantibodies/immunology , Case-Control Studies , Dietary Supplements , Female , Humans , Iodide Peroxidase/immunology , Parathyroid Hormone/blood , Postpartum Thyroiditis/blood , Postpartum Thyroiditis/drug therapy , Thyroxine/therapeutic use , Vitamin D/administration & dosage , Vitamin D/analogs & derivatives , Vitamin D/blood , Vitamin D Deficiency/blood , Vitamin D Deficiency/therapy , Vitamins/administration & dosage , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by repeated episodes of pauses in breathing during sleep due to obstruction of the upper airway that result in transient hypoxaemia, sleep fragmentation and long-term cardiovascular disease. The most common risk factors for OSA include: obesity, age over 50 and neck circumference of more than 41 cm for females and more than 43 cm in males. Sleep apnoea is more common in men than in women. The aim of the conducted research was to evaluate relations between the anthropometric features connected with adipose tissue distribution and the severity of OSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 180 patients (144 males and 36 females) diagnosed with OSA syndrome. The standard sleep parameters obtained from night polysomnography as well as skin-fat fold thickness and neck circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA 10. RESULTS: It was stated that anthropometric parameters connected with the accu-mulation of adipose tissue in upper body were significantly related to severity of OSA in males (p ≤ 0.05). Body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated with severity of OSA in females (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In males, there is a connection between the severity of OSA, BMI and a higher accumulation of adipose tissue in upper part of the body measured by neck circumference and shoulder thickness of skin-fat folds, whereas in females only by BMI.
