title: Endocrine abnormalities in chronic renal failure.
abstract: Much needs to be achieved in improving survival and quality of life for chronic renal failure patients. Progress in attaining this goal may accrue from attention to underlying pathophysiologic processes early and throughout a person's life. The endocrine perturbations described in this article--alterations in the homeostasis of phosphorus, calcium, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone; erythropoietin deficiency; and sexual dysfunction in uremia--provide good examples for the need to identify early and manage prospectively over time manifestations of chronic renal failure. The complexity of the skeletal and extraskeletal sequelae of dysregulated mineral metabolism and the complications of chronic anemia have been discussed, while stressing possible implications of these endocrine abnormalities for both morbidity and mortality. There is a great need for more randomized clinical trials to evaluate new and old treatment approaches, with the goal of developing better evidence-based practice guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Michigan Health System, B1911 Clinical Faculty Office Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0704, USA. sleavey@umich.edu
authors.forename: Sean F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Leavey
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Weitzel
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000172:deficiency; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D004921:Erythropoietin; D014807:Vitamin D; D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium