Endocrine Feedback Loop

For our 69th episode, we review a paper in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism on the gut microbiome of adolescents with type 1 diabetes, which hopes to understand differences between those with a normal body mass index compared to obesity. Studying gut microbiomes has been a “hot topic” for several years now, and we are excited to take the opportunity to unpack this work and see how it helps us better understand our patients. We both work through the challenges that come with any observational study and learn more about the specific techniques used by these investigators in this study. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University talks with regular contributor Ashok Balasubramanyam, MD, from Baylor College of Medicine, and guest expert Åke Lernmark, MD, PhD, professor emeritus from Lund University in Malmö, Sweden. They discuss “Gut Microbial Changes Associated With Obesity in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes” by Ismail et al, published in the February 2025 issue of JCEM. Show notes can be found at https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series/efl069 — podcast home page: https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series.

For our 68th episode, we look at a paper in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that compares the effect on calcium of initial and subsequent doses of denosumab in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Though concerns have arisen over the years about the problems with stopping denosumab therapy, it remains an appealing medication for some of our patients with CKD. So we thought this report had the potential to change our practice and gave us the opportunity to delve into the challenges around osteoporosis in CKD. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University talks with regular contributor Amal Shibli-Rahhal, MD, from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and guest expert Kristin Clemens, MD, from St. Joseph’s Hospital and Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. They discuss “Dose-Specific Effects of Denosumab on Serum Calcium Levels in Patients With Osteoporosis and Various Renal Functions” by Sun et al, published in the July 2025 issue of JCEM. Show notes can be found at https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series/efl068 — podcast home page: https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series.

For our 67th episode, we look at a study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that reports the impact of different types of weight-loss surgery on body composition, muscle strength, and bone density. Our patients frequently ask questions about these changes with surgical and medical weight loss, so we thought it highly worthwhile to review these findings with you all. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University talks with regular contributor Andrew Kraftson, MD, from the University of Michigan, and guest expert Anne Schafer, MD, from the University of California, San Francisco. They discuss “One Year Changes in Body Composition and Musculoskeletal Health Following Metabolic/Bariatric Surgery” by Jassil et al, published in the May 2025 issue of JCEM. Show notes can be found at https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series/efl067 — podcast home page: https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series.

For our 66th episode, we review a recent Journal of the Endocrine Society article that looks at the frequency of positive islet antibodies in a population of adults without diabetes. While that may initially seem like an unusual article choice, we found it to be quite helpful in an era where we now have a therapeutic option to delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes when we can identify people early enough. That treatment option naturally raises questions about how we can find such patients and the risk of false-positive results with these antibodies. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University talks with regular contributor Steven D. Wittlin, MD, from the University of Rochester Medical Center, and guest expert Raghu G. Mirmira, MD, PhD, from the University of Chicago. They discuss “Prevalence of Islet Autoantibodies in Adults Without Diabetes” by Pauley et al, published in the August 2025 issue of JES. Show notes can be found at https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series/efl066 — podcast home page: https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series.

For our 65th episode, we go to The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism to look at a report of two different studies that investigate the relationship between MACS (mild autonomous cortisol secretion) and vertebral fractures. MACS has been of increasing interest to endocrinologists over the past few years, with a greater recognition of its health impact and new guidelines on its assessment and treatment. As this topic continues to evolve, we thought that this paper has a high likelihood of impacting our clinical care and so is well worth discussion. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, from Vanderbilt University talks with regular contributor Jill Wagoner, MD, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and guest expert Oksana Hamidi, DO, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. They discuss “Adrenalectomy Reduces the Risk of Vertebral Fractures in Patients With Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion” by Morelli et al, first published online in JCEM in April 2025. Show notes can be found at https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series/efl065 — podcast home page: https://www.endocrine.org/journals/endocrine-feedback-loop-podcast-series.