Endocrine Abstracts

Puberty is the process of physical change that occurs between childhood and adulthood, during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction. The onset and course of puberty are under the control of the neuroendocrine system. Factors affecting the timing and regulation of the functions of this system may alter the onset and course of puberty. Recent studies have demonstrated a progressive decrease in the age of onset of puberty in children around th...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is now globally recognised as the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age and has a prevalence of 5-21% depending on the criteria used (NIH, Rotterdam or Androgen Excess Society). What is special about the syndrome is its dual entity involving both the reproductive and metabolic profile of the women affected. As a result, any intrinsic or extrinsic factors affecting both these components, could lead to pathophysiological alterat...

Human-made chemicals have become an inevitable part of life. There are approximately 100 000 chemicals on the European market and 70% of them have not been assessed for human health risks. As a consequence, every citizen faces exposure to mixtures of poorly characterized chemicals that include, for instance, flame retardants, plasticizers, additives in personal care products, and persistent organic pollutants. The exposures correlate with multiple adverse health outcomes inclu...