The body’s endocrine system is made up of glands that produce hormones, which are chemical messengers. Examples are growth hormone (that tells your body when to start and stop growing) and testosterone (the male hormone that messages your body to begin puberty). Hormones are important for all body functions including growth, height and weight, puberty, and bone health.

Endocrine issues can be common in Duchenne, especially if a person is on steroids. When steroids are taken every day over a long period, they change the way our body’s natural hormones are made and work, leading to issues such as adrenal suppression, delayed puberty, impaired growth, and osteoporosis.

During this year’s PPMD Virtual Annual Conference, we hosted a panel about endocrine issues in Duchenne. We received a large volume of questions during this live session, so many that we were only able to cover a limited number during the live Q&A panel.

For this reason, we have decided to host a Connect with the Experts series to take a deeper dive into common endocrine issues in Duchenne during the month of October. We have invited the same endocrine specialists and members of the PPMD Adult Advisory Committee (PAAC) from the virtual conference panel to provide brief updates and answer your questions about endocrine issues in Duchenne.

October 15 – Bone Health

Panelists: Dr. Leanne Ward (University of Ottawa) and Adam Wechsler (PAAC member)
Date & Time: Thursday, October 15, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

Recording >

October 22 – Delayed Puberty

Panelists: Dr. Rob Benjamin (Duke Children’s Hospital) and Austin Leclaire (PAAC member)
Date & Time: Thursday, October 22, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

Recording >

October 29 – Height and Weight

Panelists: Dr. Phil Zeitler (Colorado Children’s Hospital) and Colin Werth (PAAC member)
Date & Time: Thursday, October 29, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

Recording >

Please feel free to submit questions ahead of time to ellen@parentprojectmd.org