Endocrine Feedback Loop

For our 72nd episode and the final episode of the sixth season, we review a recent study examining the perioperative medical management of primary aldosteronism, with a focus on the use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists before adrenalectomy. Primary aldosteronism is increasingly recognized as a common and clinically important cause of secondary hypertension, yet questions remain about optimal preoperative treatment strategies. This study explores whether pretreatment with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists influences postoperative outcomes and longer‑term biochemical cure in patients undergoing surgery.
Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University, talks with regular contributor Salila Kurra, MD, from Columbia University, and guest expert Jun Yang, MD, PhD, from Monash Health in Melbourne, Australia. Together, they discuss "Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Pre-Adrenalectomy in Primary Aldosteronism," published in the April 2026 issue of JCEM, and consider how these findings may inform perioperative management and surgical decision-making in clinical practice.

For our 71st episode, we review a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that explores how semaglutide may influence taste perception in women with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome. While GLP‑1 receptor agonists are widely used for weight loss, the mechanisms underlying changes in food preference remain less well understood. This study takes a multimodal approach to examine whether semaglutide alters taste recognition, tongue gene expression, and brain responses to food-related cues. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University, talks with regular contributor Na Shen, MD, from UCLA, and guest expert Kalpana Muthusamy, M.B.B.S., MD, from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Together, they discuss "Semaglutide and Taste in Women With Obesity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study," published in the January 2026 issue of JCEM.

For our 70th episode, we review a paper that tries to improve our understanding of remission in Graves’ disease. Long-term thionamide treatment has long been the preferred approach internationally in Graves’ disease, and only more recently here in the U.S. So, the more we know about dosing and how that might encourage or predict remission, the better. This report is an observational study, as is often the case with the papers we look at, so we will discuss how these authors approach this question and share our thoughts along the way. Host Chase Hendrickson, MD, MPH, MHCC, from Vanderbilt University, talks with regular contributor Andy Crawford, MD, from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and guest expert Giuseppe Barbesino, MD, from Harvard Medical School in Boston. They discuss "Impact of Minimal Dose Strategy Before Antithyroid Drug Discontinuation on Relapse Risk in Graves' Disease" by Miyamura et al., published in the August 2025 issue of JCEM.

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.

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.