Thyroid Awareness Month: 2000
Clinical Endocrinology And The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
Editorial Background
The Endocrine System is made up of glands throughout the body which regulate tissue the function, growth and development of tissues and organs by secreting chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream. When endocrine disorders develop, too much or too little hormone is secreted by a specific gland because the gland stops functioning properly, either due to illness, surgical removal or natural causes.
For example, thyroid disease is caused when the thyroid gland, a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, produces either too much or too little thyroid hormone therefore impacting metabolism. The clinical endocrinologist diagnoses subtle and overt thyroid disease and then treats it by regulating the hormone production.
Clinical endocrinologists are physicians with special education, training and expertise in the complex disorders of the endocrine system. These physicians devote their clinical practice to providing the highest standard of evaluation and care to patients with endocrine disease, including diabetes, thyroid disease, reproductive disorders, obesity, osteoporosis, hypertension, cholesterol and lipid abnormalities as well as pituitary, parathyroid and adrenal condition.
Because of the complex nature and variability of many endocrine disorders, comprehensive evaluations and extended follow-up care are often necessary. This, plus the long-term nature of many endocrine illnesses, makes the patient-physician partnership essential to quality endocrine care.
In addition to providing patient care, endocrinologists are also at the forefront of medical research, playing an important role in many major health issues, including diabetes, infertility, hypertension, cholesterol disorders, osteoporosis, birth control, growth and geriatric disorders. They play an integral part in maintaining the total health of the patient, due to the critical role of the endocrine system throughout the body.
About The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) is a professional medical organization consisting of 6000 practicing clinical endocrinologists devoted to furthering patient care in the field of clinical endocrinology. The mission of AACE is to heighten awareness of underlying endocrine diseases, to improve the public's understanding of the function of a clinical endocrinologist, to demonstrate the added value of the clinical endocrinologist in the treatment of endocrine disease. The goal of AACE is to improve the quality of care available to patients with endocrine disease.
All members of AACE are fully licensed physicians and fully trained in endocrinology. The majority are board certified in internal medicine and subspecialty certified in adult or pediatric endocrinology. Members of AACE are recognized clinicians and educators, most are affiliated with medical schools and universities. Members of AACE contribute on a regular and continuing basis to the scientific literature on endocrine diseases and conduct medical education programs on this subject.
Previous Thyroid Awareness Month Campaigns
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2007 How's Your Thyroid - Who needs to know?
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2006 A Thyroid Imbalance? Target Your Numbers
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2005 A Healthy Thyroid: You Make The Difference
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2004 Take Control of Your Health: Keep Your Thyroid in Balance
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2003 Thyroid Undercover Hiding in Plain Sight
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2002 The Necks Generation
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2001 The Necks Time is Now Think Thyroid
- Thyroid Awareness Month 2000 Take Cholesterol by the Neck
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1999 Thyroid: The Missing T in HRT
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1998 When the Blues Hit
- Thyroid Awareness Month 1997 1995 Not available on AACE Online