Endocrinology - the science of hormones
A large number of metabolic processes in our body ensure that we process nutrients, that we move, that cells are regenerated and that our organs can function properly. To do this, chemical processes take place that first convert substances into intermediate products and finally into end products. Enzymes are responsible for ensuring that the chemical reactions take place more quickly or are channelled in a certain direction.
A number of glands produce substances that make some metabolic processes possible in the first place. They usually release their substances into the blood, i.e. into the body, and are therefore referred to as endocrine glands. The medical speciality for this is endocrinology.
The metabolic disorder
If a metabolic reaction/process is disrupted, for example because one of the glands is no longer functioning, we suffer from a metabolic disorder. A well-known example of this is the disease commonly known as "sugar" diabetes. Carbohydrates that we ingest with food are converted into glucose in the intestine, released into the blood via the intestinal wall and thus distributed throughout the body. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin in the islets of Langerhans, which ensures that the glucose can be absorbed by the cells and at the same time that too much sugar can be broken down in the liver. If the pancreas produces no or too little insulin, this metabolic process is significantly impaired. The body's cells can no longer absorb sugar and sugar formation in the liver is no longer regulated. The result: the sugar remains in the blood and the blood sugar level rises.
The thyroid gland
Malfunctions of the thyroid gland are also common causes of metabolic disorders. The thyroid gland stores iodine and produces special iodine-containing thyroid hormones, which influence the function of many organs and numerous metabolic processes. Over- or under-functioning of the thyroid gland can be correspondingly serious. A special centre for thyroid disorders has been set up at Ulm University Hospital, where patients are treated jointly by specialists in metabolic disorders, nuclear medicine and surgeons.
For the treatment of metabolic disorders in general, the Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutritional Sciences with its specialised staff is available in the Department of Internal Medicine I. The clinic has set up a special outpatient clinic for endocrinological diseases, where disorders of the hormone-producing glands are diagnosed and treated.
