Hormone Abuse Research Articles

Graves' disease in a woman with thyroid hormone abuse, bulimia nervosa, and a history of anorexia nervosa

The authors present a case of Graves' disease occurring in the setting of thyroid hormone abuse in a woman with a long history of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The possible connections between the abuse of thyroid hormone and the onset of her Graves' disease are explored. Such patients provide formidable challenges, both in identifying the psychiatric pathology correctly, and in the management thereof.

Drug Treatment of Obesity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Obesity is a common problem in Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and reduction of weight in obese diabetic patients will lead to an improvement in glucose tolerance. Despite the importance of weight loss, obese diabetic patients often fail to lose weight with advice on dietary restriction. Frequent visits to see the dietician provide the best chance of successful weight loss, and should be an important part of the management of the overweight patient. If this line of treatment is unsuccessful, then drug therapy may be considered to assist the patient in adhering to the dietary restriction. Over the past decade, drug therapy for weight loss has fallen into disrepute in the wake of the abuse of amphetamines and thyroid hormones by both patients and doctors. For this reason, the only drug commonly used in the diabetic clinic to assist patients to lose weight is metformin because of its putative therapeutic effect on obesity. However, currently available anorectic agents have much less potential for abuse by patients than their predecessors, and new drugs are being developed in this field.

Preventing Growth Hormone Abuse: An Emerging Health Concern

Preventing Growth Hormone Abuse: An Emerging Health Concern

Anabolic Steroid Use Among Male High School Seniors

To the Editor.— Recent attention has been given in the press and professional journals to the abuse of anabolic corticosteroids and human growth hormones used alone and in conjunction with other drugs by professional and amateur athletes as well as those interested in bodybuilding. 1-3 There are various potential health problems associated with the effects of steroids on natural hormonal production and the effects of exposure of various end-organs to nonphysiological concentrations of these substances. 4 To this list of consequences of the use of steroids we and others would add another possible health hazard: infection with human immunodeficiency virus (P. Goldstein, personal communication, October 1988). 5 Anabolic steroids are used both orally and intramuscularly. 1 It is not unusual for couples or groups of workout buddies to share injection equipment when administering steroids to specific muscles being developed, 3 with one individual of the couple or group injecting the

Sudden death associated with thyroid hormone abuse: Bhasin S, Wallace W, Lawrence JB, Lesch M: Am J Med 1981; 71: 887–890

Sudden death associated with thyroid hormone abuse: Bhasin S, Wallace W, Lawrence JB, Lesch M: Am J Med 1981; 71: 887–890

Sudden death associated with thyroid hormone abuse

Three patients with hyperthyroidism due to deliberate intake of excessive amounts of L-thyroxine are described wherein death was “instantaneous” and presumably due to ventricular fibrillation. Hyperthyroidism was not recognized on admission in two of these patients because of atypical presentations. Autopsy was performed in two patients. In one patient no coronary disease was present and focal myocarditis with leukocytic infiltration was noted. The second patient had an acute posterior myocardial infarction due to acute coronary thrombosis, but focal areas of leukocytic infiltration and fibrosis were also seen in the anterior wall not involved in the process of infarction. Factitious hyperthyroidism due to L-thyroxine abuse can be associated with sudden death in the absence of coronary artery disease and may be related to a drug induced myocarditis.

The Use and Abuse of the Corticosteroid Hormones in Connective Tissue Diseases

The Use and Abuse of the Corticosteroid Hormones in Connective Tissue Diseases