The Endocrine & Diabetes Centre, in collaboration with other clinical units of the Hospital including Departments of Pathology, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Ophthalmology, Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre and Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre, offers a one-stop service for patients with diabetes and endocrine diseases. The Centre is committed to offering holistic treatment and care to patients, in particular patient education and prevention of diseases and complications.
Professional Team
- Endocrinologist (Diabetes Specialist)
- Ophthalmologist
- Registered Dietitian
- Diabetes Nurse Specialist
- Podiatrist
- Pharmacist
- Physiotherapist
About Endocrine Diseases What are Endocrine Diseases? There are many endocrine diseases that are related to the malfunctioning of the endocrine system. Common examples include hormonal disorder (symptoms or diseases related to menstruation in women and sexual dysfunction in men), diabetes, thyroid disorders (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and goiter), osteoporosis, side effects due to excessive use of steroid, obesity and obesity-related metabolic syndrome.
Hormones are secretions by endocrine glands into the blood system for specific functions, responsible for sustaining a stable internal environment (for example, the blood glucose level at 4-8 mmol/L or body temperature at around 37°C).
Common Endocrine Diseases
- Pituitary Disorders
Common pituitary disorders include elevated levels of prolactin which result in menstrual irregularities and/or lactation. It is usually due to hyperplasia/benign tumour of prolactin-producing cells or other types of pituitary tumours. Delayed treatment may cause permanent visual damage and higher risk of osteoporosis in women. - Adrenal Gland Disorders
Secondary hypertension is one of the common adrenal gland disorders. Early detection and treatment can cure or manage the conditions of hypertension. - Parathyroid Disorders
Excessively high or low levels of calcium in the blood may cause constipation, gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea and other symptoms. It usually involves hyperparathyroidism caused by tumours, or the parathyroid gland being damaged during the surgical treatment of hyperthyroidism. - Ovary (female) / Testes (male)
Hormonal disorders in male and female may cause impotence, polycystic ovary syndrome or other conditions. - Thyroid Diseases
Common thyroid diseases include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and thyroid tumours. Hyperthyroidism may cause symptoms like rapid heart rate and involuntary weight loss. Prolonged neglect of the conditions may damage the heart functions and lead to osteoporosis. Hypothyroidism may cause weight gain, lethargy and higher risks of hypothermia in cold weather and coma when having serious illnesses. - Fatty Tissues
Common endocrine diseases also include obesity, metabolic syndrome (i.e. central obesity, which means having a waist circumference of >90 cm in men and >80 cm in women and two of the following conditions: hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia, low HDL level, or diabetes) and osteoporosis. - Pancreatic Disorders
Diabetes is the most well-known pancreatic disorder. The Centre offers a wide range of assessment and treatment programmes for patients with diabetes. Please refer to the relevant pamphlets for details.
About Diabetes What is Diabetes? People with diabetes have problems regulating the amount of glucose (sugar) in their blood. This happens because insulin production is insufficient or insulin does not function properly. Thus, glucose cannot be converted into energy we need. This results in increased blood glucose level, and the extra glucose will be excreted in urine.
What are the long term complications of Diabetes? Persistent high blood glucose levels may lead to vascular and nerve damages which in turn affect organ functions. People with diabetes have risks of developing one or more of the following complications:
- Retinopathy, Cataract, Glaucoma
These conditions may lead to blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 20 to 74. Patients are 25 times more likely to lose their eyesight. - Kidney Disease
Diabetes is the most common cause of end-stage renal failure. 20 to 40% of people with diabetes will develop kidney disease. - Heart Disease and Stroke
People with diabetes are 4 times more likely to have heart disease and stroke. - Nerve and Peripheral Vascular Diseases
These conditions may lead to serious foot ulcers that require an amputation. Diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower leg amputation. Patients are 20 - 40 times more likely to require this procedure. - Sexual Dysfunction
More than 10% of men with diabetes suffer from sexual dysfunction.
How to prevent or delay the onset of complications of Diabetes? It is very important that diabetic patients keep their blood glucose levels within the normal target range in order to reduce their risk of developing the complications. You may not notice anything abnormal even if you have a complication. Health care professionals, however, can detect your problem long before symptoms appear. Early detection and intervention are the best ways to prevent or delay complications. |