DISEASES OF THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEMThe most common diseases of the endocrine system (to be)______diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease.
Diabetes mellitus [daie'bi:ti:z] (to be)_____a medical disorder. It (to characterise)___________by
varying or persistent hyperglycemia [haiperglaisi:mie] (high blood sugar levels), especially after eating. All
types of diabetes mellitus (to share)____________similar symptoms and complications at advanced stages.
Hyperglycemia itself can (to lead)___________to dehydration. Longer-term complications (to include)
_ cardiovascular disease (doubled risk), chronic renal failure, retinal damage which can (to lead) to blindness, nerve damage which can (to lead)_________to erectile dysfunction (impotence),
gangrene with risk of amputation of toes, feet, and even legs. Serious complications (to be)
much less common in people who (to control)__________their blood sugars well with their lifestyle and
medications. In 2006, according to the World Health Organization, at least 171 million people worldwide
(to suffer)_____________from diabetes. The most important forms of diabetes (to be)_________type 1
diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The most common symptoms of diabetes (to be)______________increased
urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, poor healing of wound and injuries, and importence. Type 1
diabetes (to know)_____________as insulin-dependent diabetes, childhood diabetes, or juvenile-onset
diabetes). Type 1 diabetes (to diagnose) ____________________ most commonly in children and
adolescents, but can (to occur)___________in adults, as well. Diabetes mellitus type 2 (to be)_______
non-insulin-dependent diabetes, NIDDM or adult-onset diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (to require)
________________ insulin injections for survival. Type 2 diabetes (to manage)____________________
generally with diet, weight reduction and exercise in about 20% of cases. The majority (to require)
_______________these strategies plus oral medication Insulin (to use)_____________if the tablets (to
be)_______, or (to become), ineffective. Other health problems that (to accelerate)_______________the
damaging effects of diabetes (to be)________smoking, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity, high blood
pressure, and lack of regular exercise.
Hyperthyroidism (or "overactive thyroid gland") (to be)_______the clinical syndrome caused by an
-excess of circulating free thyroxine or freee trilodothyronine (T3), or boih. Major causes in humans (to be)______:
• Graves' disease (the most common etiology with 70-80%)
• Toxic thyroid adenoma
• Toxic multinodular goitre ['goite]
Other causes of hyperthyroxinemia (high blood levels of thyroid hormones) (to be)_____subacute and other
forms of thyroiditis (inflammation). Thyrotoxicosis can (to occur) ______________ in both
hyperthyroidism and thyroiditis. Major clinical features in humans (to be)__ _ weight loss, fatigue,
weakness, hyperactivity, irritability, apathy ['aepeOi], depression, polyuria, and sweating. Additionally,
patients may (to present)_____________with a variety of symptoms such as palpitations and arrhythmias
(notably atrial fibrillation), dyspnea, loss of libido [li'bi:dou], nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In the elderly,
these classical symptoms may not (to be)________present and they may (to present)________________
only with fatigue and weight loss leading to apathetic hyperthyroidism
Neurological manifestations (to be)______tremor, chorea (ou), myopathy, and periodic paralysis.
A diagnosis (to suspect)______________________through blood tests, by measuring the level ofTSH
(thyroid stimulating hormone) in the blood. Measuring specific antibodies, such as anti-TSH-receptor antibodies, may (to contribute)_________________to the diagnosis. The major and generally accepted mo-
dalities for treatment of hyperthyroidism in humans (to be) surgery and drug therapy.
Surgery (to remove the whole thyroid or a part of it) (not to use) _ extensively be-
cause most common forms of hyperthyroidism (to treat)__________ quite ettectively by tne radioac-
tive iodine method. In Radioiodine (treatment) therapy, radioactive iodine (to give)____________orally
(either by pill or liquid).
Thyrostatics (to be)_______drugs that (to inhibit)_______________the production of thyroid
hormones.
