Dr Mary McCarthy: Talk for group focussed on wider issues

Diabetes UK are a support group for all diabetics offering information, education and social events.

The Shrewsbury group are a very active division, meeting once a month covering a wide variety of themes. Amongst the many services on offer are educational evenings, Christmas dinners, and summer walks which are all underpinned by the well organised secretary, chair and a team of enthusiastic helpers. Rather than speaking strictly about diabetes, I was asked to explore beyond the parameters of this topic.

Diabetes is part of a group of hormone diseases caused by disruption to the endocrine system of the body. I decided therefore to do my talk on endocrine diseases and their various forms.

Thyroid problems come under this category, involving both under-action and over-action of the thyroid gland as well as diseases of the adrenal glands which sit on top of the kidneys and the pituitary gland, such as Addison’s disease.

The pituitary is a small gland sitting at the base of the brain; roughly level, though further back, with the bridge of the nose. You can imagine the pituitary gland as the conductor of the endocrine orchestra given that it influences and moderates the effects of other glands. It produces a thyroid stimulating hormone, which encourages the thyroid gland to push out thyroxine.

Thyroxine is a bit like the accelerator on a car – it determines how fast your body works. Too much thyroxine makes you jittery and nervous; your heart will race and you may find it difficult to sleep. You lose weight and, if you’re a women, periods are disrupted. Too little thyroid hormone and you put on weight, your body slows down and not only do you sleep easily but you feel permanently tired. Your hair falls out and your skin thickens.

Luckily, both overactive and underactive thyroids can be managed by either medical or surgical treatment. Another hormone produced by the pituitary is the human growth hormone and over production of this hormone in childhood can lead to humans developing well beyond average in what is known as pituitary gigantism.

Normal levels of growth hormone production will mean that people stop growing as the ends of their long bones fuse. With gigantism however, the over activity of the pituitary gland means that this natural limit will not apply as many can grow to heights of 7-8 feet. This can also have serious health implications, particularly on pressure that is placed on organs.

People with gigantism have been often been described throughout history. One such example, was that of Charles Byrne, known then as the Irish Giant. Byrne was in London at the time of his death in 1783 aged 22 and was an acquaintance of John Hunter, the famous surgeon and founder of the Hunterian museum at the Royal College of Surgeons. Going against Byrne’s wishes to be buried at sea, Hunter arranged for the body of Byrne to be intercepted and taken back so his remains could be examined and placed on display at the museum. In modern times, this has been a source of debate as the museum has resisted calls to honours Byrne’s dying wishes and instead, his skeleton remains on display to this day.

Thankfully, what was once a cause for medical curiosity, can know be explained and understood as a disorder of the pituitary gland.