Essential Endocrinology and Diabetes [antikvár]

Preface There have been significant advances and developments in the 4 years since we wrote the last edition. Consequently, many areas of the book have required substantial updating and extensive re-writing. Nevertheless, the structure of the book has remained similar to the last edition, which seemed popular around the world. The first part strives to create a knowledgeable reader prepared for the clinical sections. Recognizing that many students now come to medicine from non-scientific backgrounds, we have tried to limit assumptions on prior knowledge. For instance, the concept of negative feedback regulation, covered in Chapter 1, is mandatory for understanding almost all endocrine physiology and is vital for the interpretation of many clinical tests. Similarly, molecular diagnostics has advanced far beyond the historical development of immunoassays. New modalities, such as molecular genetics, mass spectrometry and sophisticated imaging, are already standard practice and it is important that aspiring clinicians, as well as scientists, appreciate their methodology, application and limitations. The second part retains a largely organ-based approach. The introductory basic science in these chapters aims to be concise yet sufficient to understand, diagnose and manage the associated clinical disorders. The chapter on endocrine neoplasia, including hormone-secreting tumours of the gut, has been expanded in recognition of the increasing array of hormones discovered from the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract. In previous editions these hormones have lacked attention. However, many of them are now emerging as key regulators that are exploited in new therapies. For instance, augmentation of glucagon-like peptide 1 signalling is an effective treatment for diabetes. The third part on diabetes and obesity was entirely new in the last edition and these chapters have undergone the greatest change here. Over the last 4 years we have seen significant advances in the treatment of type 2 diabetes such as the new incretin-based therapies and the withdrawal of other treatments due to safety concerns. Clinical algorithms have also changed and these have been updated. The textbook aims to bridge the gap from basic science training, through clinical training, to the knowledge required for the early postgraduate years and specialist training. The text goes beyond core undergraduate medical education. Learning objectives, boxes, and concluding 'key points' aim to emphasize the major topics. There is hopefiilly useful detail for more advanced clinicians who, like the authors, enjoy trying to interpret clinical medicine scientifically, but for whom memory occasionally fails. Although the structure of the book is largely unchanged from the previous edition, readers of the old edition will recognize welcome developments. For the first time, the book is in full colour, which has allowed us to include colour photographs in the relevant chapter. We have introduced recap and cross-reference guides at the beginning of each of the clinical chapters to help the reader find important information in other parts of the book more easily. The case histories that were introduced in the last edition proved to be a success and these have been expanded to provide greater opportunity to put theory into practice. We have brought our clinical and research experiences together to create this book. While it has been a truly collaborative venture and the book is designed to read as a whole, inevitably one of us has taken a lead with each chapter depending on our own interests. As such, NAH was responsible for writing Part 1 and Part 2, while RICH was responsible for Part 3.