Robert Gensure, M.D./Ph.D. is a physician-scientist with significant experience in basic science and clinical research, and in clinical practice of pediatric endocrinology. He has authored 46 publications on topics including parathyroid hormone function, vitamin D supplementation, and inherited disorders of bone and mineral metabolism. He is currently serving as chief of pediatric endocrinology at Dartmouth Health Children’s in Lebanon, NH, USA.
Hypothyroidism is a condition with insidious onset and multiple etiologies. Because of this, it often goes unrecognized. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology of the various forms of hypothyroidism has led to improved screening recommendations to detect the disorder in at-risk individuals, often before the onset of symptoms. While thyroid hormone replacement remains the mainstay of therapy, there are efforts to develop treatments for the immune reaction which is responsible for hypothyroidism in most individuals, holding promise for a cure. This book provides a comprehensive review of our current knowledge of the etiology of hypothyroidism and provides recommendations for screening practices and therapeutic approaches.
Go to the bookPart of the book: Recent Hurricane Research
Part of the book: Advances in Hurricane Research
In this chapter, we will explore non-surgical treatments of alopecia. Unlike many other areas of medicine, pharmacological treatments for alopecia are relatively new. There are only two treatments which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the rest are drugs developed for other indications which have gained popular off-label use to promote hair growth. The reasons for this are many, including the designation of alopecia by the FDA as a cosmetic disease. This designation has restricted alopecia development programs to compounds with virtually no side effects. Unfortunately, it has also led to off-label use of far more dangerous compounds as alopecia treatments, without the benefit of controlled trials. There is a growing recognition that alopecia, particularly alopecia areata and chemotherapy-induced alopecia, are disorders which significantly alter the quality of life, similar to acne vulgaris and psoriasis, and merit treatment accordingly. There have also been several recent advances in our understanding of the hair cycle, revealing new targets for developing alopecia therapies. As a result, there is a more robust slate of programs for developing new pharmacological treatments for alopecia. In this chapter, we will review current pharmacological treatments for alopecia and selected treatments under development (i.e., those with significant preclinical or clinical data which have appeared in the published literature).
Part of the book: Alopecia