title: [Evolutionary endocrinology: a pending matter].
abstract: Twenty years have passed since the foundational article of what is now known as evolutionary medicine (EM) was published. This young medical discipline examines, following Darwinian principles, susceptibility to certain diseases and how we react to them. In short, EM analyzes the final cause of the disease from a historical perspective. Over the years, EM has been introduced in various medical areas in very different ways. While it has found a role in some fields such as infectious diseases and oncology, its contribution in other areas has been quite limited. In endocrinology, EM has only gained prominence as a basis for the so-called "diseases of civilization", including diabetes mellitus and obesity. However, many experts suggest that it may have a much higher potential. The aim of this paper is to provide a view about what evolutionary medicine is. Some examples of how EM may contribute to progress of our specialty are also given. There is no doubt that evolution enriches medicine, but medicine also offers knowledge to evolution.
authors: Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, España. 26276czl@comb.cat
authors: Carles
authors: C
authors: Zafón
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002962:Civilization; D003468:Cultural Evolution; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004704:Endocrinology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005544:Forecasting; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D019382:Human Growth Hormone