Diseases of the endocrine system: characteristics and main types

The endocrine system is the set of organs and tissues of the organism that secrete a series of compounds known as hormones.

These substances, produced and released by the endocrine glands, are released into the bloodstream to travel through it and regulate specific functions at points far from their place of production.

Among the main hormone-secreting structures we find the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, epiphysis or pancreas, among many others. These traveling substances through our circulatory system modulate really important functions in the human body: from metabolism and growth to reproduction.

Therefore, the excessive or deficient production of these essential messengers can lead to various imbalances in terms of the individual's metabolic and behavioral balance. Here we tell you some diseases of the endocrine system and their peculiarities.

• Related article: "Types of hormones and their functions in the human body"

Endocrine system diseases: between messengers and controllers

Before fully immersing ourselves in the diseases of the endocrine system of greatest clinical interest, it is necessary to fly over quickly the world of hormones, because we cannot understand the effects of lack or excess of them without understanding their functions. In general, the hormonal effect can be differentiated into three possible events:

• Stimulant: promotes the activity of a tissue.
• Inhibitory: decreases the activity of a tissue.
• Tropic: that alters the metabolism of other endocrine tissue.

Simple truth? Things get complicated if we take into account the type of hormonal communication (endocrine, paracrine, autocrine or neuroendocrine) or the chemical classification of substances (water-soluble and fat soluble). Fortunately or unfortunately, we are not facing an advanced biochemistry lesson, and therefore, we only want to make one idea clear. this is that endocrine disorders are divided into two different modalities:

• Due to excessive hormonal secretion (hyper).
• Due to deficit of hormonal secretion (hypo).

Diseases of the endocrine system occur because, as with any biological adaptation, a element of the human body can give rise to diseases despite the fact that its existence is due to the fact that it is usually beneficial. In other words, an adaptation can continue to be transmitted to new generations as long as the benefits it brings outweigh the the diseases to which it gives rise (in particular, pathologies that impede the ability to reproduce and have offspring).

We must not forget that hormones are molecules and, therefore, they are not intelligent; and the same is true of the glands that secrete them. Therefore, when their way of functioning begins to fail, they do not have to "learn" to correct the situation, so they In many cases, external help through medical treatments is necessary..

This is a very general division, but one that certainly helps to categorize the different diseases of the endocrine system in a simple and effective way. Now, let's get down to business.

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Its main types

These are examples of the most important types of diseases of the endocrine system, taking into account which are the most common pathologies of this class.

1. hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism presents with a characteristic clinical picture due to the hyperproduction of thyroid hormones. by the thyroid (worth the redundancy), and obeys multiple causes. According to the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, this pathology affects 0.3 to 1% of the general population. It is more frequent in women than in men and in the geriatric population it can reach a prevalence of almost 5%. Therefore, we are facing a pathology widely linked to age.

Its most common symptoms include heat intolerance, palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, irritability, hyperkinexia, weight loss and hyperdefecation. All these signs are caused by the hyperproduction of the aforementioned thyroid hormones, since these control the use of energy in many tissues and processes.

Finally, and to end this brief summary, it must not be forgotten that Graves' disease is the most common general cause of hyperthyroidism. In this disorder, the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to be overstimulated.

• You may be interested in: "Thyroid hormones: types and functions in the human body"

2. hypothyroidism

As we can see from the prefix of the term, we are facing the completely opposite case. in hypothyroidism the thyroid gland does not produce enough of the already named hormone, which causes various alterations in the chemical balance of the individual.

Once again, we are facing a pathology biased by age and sex: only 0.2% of men present, while up to 2% of women may experience it late in life. his life.

As in the previous case, the associated symptoms will vary according to the severity of the hormonal deficit. Furthermore, these signs are succinct and gradual: they range from a dull facial structure to confusion and constipation. Of course, when looking at a patient with prolonged hypothyroidism, it is common to feel that person is "running out of battery."

It is very important to know that in the Global South and other areas where economic development is low this disease is very common. This is due to a chronic lack of iodine in the diet.

3. Cushing's disease

We have completely changed the paradigm, because now we must focus our attention on a malfunction of the pituitary gland, leaving behind the well-known thyroid gland. In this case, the endocrine gland in question produces an excess of the hormone adrenocorticotropin, which promotes the formation of cortisol (also known as the stress hormone).

We are facing a pathology even less common than the previous ones, since only 1.2 to 2.4 cases per year per million inhabitants occur. Again, the woman is up to 8 times more likely to suffer from it at some point in her life.

In addition, this pathology is not usually as linked to autoimmune disorders as is the case with the two previous ones, but rather usually occurs after prolonged ingestion of corticosteroid drugs or by the presence of a tumor pituitary

The most common symptoms are obesity above the waist, round red face and slow growth rate in children. Once again, readers will not be surprised to see that we are dealing with a pathology that presents itself in many different and apparently unconnected ways. As we have been able to see so far, hormones regulate a series of very different processes, so it is natural that the clinical manifestations are different.

• You may be interested in: "Neuroendocrine system: parts, functions and characteristics"

4. Diabetes

How to make a list of the most relevant diseases of the endocrine system without talking about diabetes? As macabre as it may seem, we save the most interesting for last (from an epidemiological point of view).

Diabetes is defined as a disease in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high. This is caused by the use or misuse of the hormone insulin by the individual. The World Health Organization (WHO) collects a series of data of great interest about this pathology:

The number of people with diabetes increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. The prevalence of diabetes has increased from 4.7% to 8.5% in recent decades. It is estimated that in 2016, this pathology was the cause of 1.6 million deaths.

Of course, we are facing the queen of diseases of the endocrine system. Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst and urination, increased appetite, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness in the hands and feet, sores that won't heal, and unexplained weight loss apparent. Depending on the type of diabetes (1 or 2) the signs can present quickly or very slowly and over time.

In addition, it is necessary to emphasize that this type of disorder in type 2 is conditioned by factors extrinsic to the individual (something new in this space), since being overweight, being physically inactive, the location of fat, and being obese are clearly correlated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

We are facing a pathology that is treated almost as if it were a pandemic or a viral disease, because The WHO has launched various detection and prevention plans for this hormonal imbalance. Among them we find the "WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health" or "The WHO module on the diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes". Undoubtedly, it is a fascinating disease from a clinical point of view, since its appearance and prevalence have increased considerably in recent years.

Summary

As we have been able to see, we are dealing with a series of very multifaceted pathologies, as they manifest with very general clinical pictures and variable involvement depending on the excess (or deficit) of the hormone affected. In addition, it is important to emphasize that we have left various diseases in the pipeline, such as Addison's disease, acromegaly and different disorders of puberty and reproductive function.

Fortunately, detection of these types of disorders is usually easy when they are suspected, because measuring the hormonal concentrations in the blood is enough to start making an effective diagnosis. Despite the fact that many of them have an important genetic component or are beyond the reach of the patient (such as the formation of tumors or failures autoimmune), it is necessary to emphasize that other pathologies such as diabetes are linked to the lifestyle and sedentary lifestyle of people.