We are delighted to welcome Dr. Leena Shahla to the Pituitary Podcast. She is the director of The Duke Pituitary Program. Today she joins PWN co-founder and medical director of the California Center for Pituitary Disorders at UCSF, Dr. Lewis Blevins, for an in-depth discussion about pseudo-Cushing's syndrome.

In the Duke Health web portal, Dr. Shahla says endocrinology captured her heart because it combines medical science with unique challenges. "My passion for solving puzzles drives my deep interest in pituitary disease, the most complex area of endocrinology." You can read more about Dr. Shahla, her practice and background here.

This is a fascinating discussion about a complex, often misunderstood condition by two of the leading experts in the field you won't want to miss it. Pseudo-Cushing's syndrome or non-neoplastic hypercortisolism is a medical condition in which people with this disorder display the signs, symptoms, and abnormal cortisol levels. Common causes can include pregnancy, alcohol use disorder, morbid obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, end-stage renal disease, severe major depressive disorder, and poorly controlled diabetes.

In this podcast, Dr. Blevins reviews the side effects of dopamine agonist drugs. These are drugs that activate certain types of cells in the brain to regulate various functions, including hormone regulation, movement, and motivation. Dr. Blevins's discussion focuses on the drug cabergoline and its side effects, citing several research studies. This is a fascinating review of side effects you won't want to miss, even if you don't use or are unfamiliar with cabergoline and its use in treating prolactinomas.

For more information on prolactinomas and other pituitary disorders, visit pituitaryworldnews.org. Stay tuned for an upcoming book on prolactinomas, scheduled for release later this year. While you’re there, browse through the website for more resources and explore our current selection of books on Cushing’s syndrome, diabetes insipidus, vasopressin resistance, and hypopituitarism—available for purchase. Additionally, a new book focusing on pituitary tumors will be released later this month.

Explore. Learn. Stay Ahead. Visit us today!

Sometimes conversations take interesting turns and often lead to surprising and unexpected discussions. If you're a regular listener of the Pituitary Podcast, you may have caught a few of our live broadcasts where these unscripted discussion are common.

Today I'm joined by Risa August, a patient and advocate and a frequent guest sharing her work, adventures and advocacy efforts, for one of those engaging chats. In this podcast we explored the importance of listening. We also discussed the stories that spark the interest needed to capture the attention of people who may know little or nothing about pituitary conditions. With greater awareness, and since early diagnosis is such a game changer with these devastating conditions, perhaps more people will be mindful of the subtle signs that deserve medical attention — and maybe, just maybe, they'll ask the right questions that guide their doctors toward considering a potential pituitary diagnosis sooner rather than later. Here'e another example of this discussion from a recent Grand Rounds Video with physicians and endocrine fellows discussing an acromegaly case.

Click here to order the book and learn more about Risa's work.