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ENDO 2018: Celebrating 100 Years of Education

— Latest research will take Endocrine Society meeting attendees into new era

MedpageToday

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CHICAGO -- This year marks 100 years of The Endocrine Society, with its annual meeting here bringing together cutting-edge endocrine advancements, research, and healthcare providers.

ENDO 2018 kicks off on Friday, and over 2,000 abstracts will be presented on a wide range of hot topics: from the future of male contraception, to blue light's effect on metabolism, to how obesity may fuel cancer.

Many sessions will delve into the future of basic science and endocrinology, said ENDO 2018 steering committee chair John Newell-Price, PhD, of the University of Sheffield in England. He told 51˶ that attendees should drop by the sessions investigating whether fertility can survive a Mars colonization and the idea of developing organs on a chip.

Two late-breaking oral abstracts sessions will highlight the latest findings in adrenal and diabetes medicine. Research from these sessions will include findings on preoperative treatment of patients with a pheochromocytoma, hydrocortisone granules for kids, dapagliflozin in patients with stage 3A chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin's impact on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more.

Updated clinical practice guidelines will be featured in case-based discussion sessions, marked by this Saturday's release of the latest guidelines for testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism. This will also be paired with a discussion of the newly updated hirsutism clinical practice guidelines released last week, as well as a session highlighting the guidelines on the endocrine treatment of gender dysphoric and gender-incongruent persons.

Beyond clinical practice guidelines, there will be three master clinician sessions on topics such as challenging osteoporosis cases on Sunday followed by hyperprolactinemia and prolactinoma cases and indeterminate thyroid nodules on Tuesday.

Newell-Price recommended attendees drop in on three highly-anticipated debate sessions:

  • "The LDL Limbo. How Low Should You Go?" Steve Nissen, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic and Henry Ginsberg, MD, of Columbia University in New York City
  • "Is Adrenal Vein Sampling Needed For the Management of Primary Aldosteronism?" Paul Stewart, MD, of the University of Leeds, England and William F. Young Jr., MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
  • "Energy Intake and Dietary Adherence Are the Most Important Factors in Weight Loss?" Kevin Hall, PhD, of the NIH, and Dan Bessesen, MD, of the University of Colorado in Aurora

Newell-Price also pointed out that "We are holding three sessions that incorporate the patient voice. As shared decision-making in healthcare evolves, it is important to keep the preferences of patients and quality of life considerations in mind." The sessions will cover transgender children and adolescents, diabetes in an athlete, and how to work with patients with inherited endocrinopathies.

Healthcare disparities will be at the forefront of many sessions, with a Saturday symposiums featuring the "innovative" work of the Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, where leaders of ongoing research projects will discuss specific challenges and potential solutions to health disparities in research.

During the pre-conference events held on Friday, a new session led by ENDO 2017 chairs Samuel Dagogo-Jack, MD, of the University of Tennessee in Memphis, and Robert Eckel, MD, of the University of Colorado in Denver, will focus on how to providers can take on cardiometabolic risk, such as early combination therapy in diabetes management and pharmacotherapy for managing obesity.

A focus on trainees will also be a theme of this meeting, said Newell-Price, with early career events, including the Early Career Forum, beginning on Friday.

"Held each day during ENDO, multi-topic Career Development Workshops will offer trainees and early career professionals with tips and tools on how to move ahead in their careers. We will again offer the engaging Communications Boot Camp and a new session, 'Branching Out: The Entrepreneurial Side of Science and Medicine,' to reach those with an entrepreneurial spirit," he noted.

The International Seminar Series held over the weekend will provide advice on navigating the process on securing a research fellowship abroad and the visa process for international trainees, he added.

Follow ENDO 2018 coverage on 51˶, and on Twitter @TheEndoSociety, along with the hashtag #ENDO2018.

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    Kristen Monaco is a senior staff writer, focusing on endocrinology, psychiatry, and nephrology news. Based out of the New York City office, she’s worked at the company since 2015.