An endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in the endocrine system. This network of glands inside your body creates hormones that help cells talk to each other. The endocrine system is varied and complex, but one important job it has is to help with reproduction. 

A reproductive endocrinologist, sometimes referred to as an RE, is an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) physician who diagnoses and treats endocrine disorders that are either directly or indirectly related to reproduction. They largely deal with issues related to infertility, when you’re unable to get pregnant after one year of unprotected sex.

What Does a Reproductive Endocrinologist Do?

Many people deal with infertility. In fact, up to 15% of couples are infertile, and the issue is just as common among men as it is among women. 

Reproductive endocrinologists may use surgery, medicine, or procedures to treat infertility. Before they come up with a treatment plan, they must find the source of the problem. To do this, they might: 

• Check for blood sugar and thyroid abnormalities 
• Run a semen test
• Order an X-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes to look for problems
• Do an ovarian reserve fertility test to measure the level of various hormones related to reproduction, such as:
  • Follicle-stimulating hormone
  • Estradiol
  • Anti-Müllerian hormone

Based on the results of these tests, reproductive endocrinologists are better able to make an accurate diagnosis. They may then prescribe medicine or recommend procedures like:

• Laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery that uses a tiny camera to let your doctor see inside your body
• Hysteroscopy, a procedure using a small camera that lets the doctor see images of your cervix and uterus from inside through the vagina
• Abdominal myomectomy, surgery to remove uterine fibroids

Reproductive endocrinologists also perform various infertility treatments, including:

• Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Purifying one partner’s sperm demo and placing it into the other’s uterus.
• In vitro fertilization (IVF): Fertilizing one partner’s egg with the other's sperm in a laboratory and then transferring the best embryo(s) to the mother or surrogate's uterus. 

One full cycle of IVF takes 3 weeks or longer. But it’s the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology to date. Since its introduction in the U.S. in 1981, this procedure and techniques like it have resulted in over 200,000 babies. 

Education and Training

The path to becoming a reproductive endocrinologist is a long one. First, you need a bachelor's degree, usually in a science-based field of study. 

Like all other physicians, you must then pass the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) to get into medical school. Then you’ll attend and graduate from a four-year medical school program.

You’ll then take part in a residency program and get certified as an OB/GYN through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

After completing a specialized fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) after residency, you can take a written and oral exam to become board certified as a reproductive endocrinologist.

Reasons to See a Reproductive Endocrinologist

You should consider seeing a reproductive endocrinologist if you’re having trouble getting pregnant. As a general guideline, if you’re under 35 and want to conceive a child, you should spend a year trying before you see a reproductive endocrinologist. If you’re over 35, you should try for at least 6 months. 

However, you may want to book an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist if you have any of the following issues: 

• Irregular, absent, or painful menstrual periods 
• One or more miscarriages
• Treatment(s) that may affect your fertility
• Endometriosis symptoms or diagnosis
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms or diagnosis

If you want to get someone pregnant, you should consider seeing a reproductive endocrinologist after a year of regular, unprotected sex or if you have a history of any of the following: 

• Problems with sexual function
• Pain, swelling, or a lump in the testicle area
• Abnormal breast growth 
• A lower than normal sperm count 

Reproductive endocrinologists are an excellent resource to help you better understand your fertility journey and to provide medical interventions for pregnancy when appropriate.

Scientists from the University of Nottingham have discovered that the novel insulin-like peptide hormone, called INSL3, is consistent over long periods of time and is an important early biomarker for prediction of age-linked disease. Their latest findings have been published today in Frontiers in Endocrinology.

INSL3 is made by the same cells in the testes that make testosterone, but unlike testosterone which fluctuates throughout a man's life, INSL3 remains consistent, with the level at puberty remaining largely the same throughout a man's life, decreasing only slightly into old age. This makes it the first clear and reliable predictive biomarker of age-related morbidity as compared to any other measurable parameters.

The results show that the level of INSL3 in blood correlates with a range of age-related illnesses, such as bone weakness, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

The discovery of the consistent nature of this hormone is very significant as it means that a man with high INSL3 when young will still have high INSL3 when he is older. But someone with low INSL3 already at a young age, will have low INSL3 when older making him more likely to acquire typical age-related illnesses. This opens up exciting possibilities for predicting age-related illnesses and finding ways to prevent the onset of these diseases with early intervention.

The research was led by Professor Ravinder Anand-Ivell and Professor Richard Ivell and is the latest of three latest studies into this hormone. Professor Ravinder Anand-Ivell explains: "The holy grail of aging research is to reduce the fitness gap that appears as people age. Understanding why some people are more likely to develop disability and disease as they age is vital so that interventions can be found to ensure people not only live a long life but also a healthy life as they age. Our hormone discovery is an important step in understanding this and will pave the way for not only helping people individually but also helping to ease the care crisis we face as a society."

The team analysed blood samples from 3,000 men from 8 regional centres in north, south, east, and west of Europe, including the UK, with two samples taken four years apart. The results showed that unlike testosterone, INSL3 remains at consistent levels in individuals

The study also showed that the normal male population, even when young and relatively healthy, still shows a wide variation between individuals in the concentration of INSL3 in the blood -- almost 10-fold.

Professor Richard Ivell adds: "Now we know the important role this hormone plays in predicting disease and how it varies amongst men we are turning our attention to finding out what factors have the most influence on the level of INSL3 in the blood. Preliminary work suggests early life nutrition may play a role, but many other factors such as genetics or exposure to some environmental endocrine disruptors may play a part."

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Nottingham. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

OMAHA, Neb. —

People are thankful in all sorts of ways, but Dr. Anupam Kotwal is incredibly grateful.

His prognosis is good because the cancer was caught early by the doctor himself. Kotwal was testing a new ultrasound machine, just like he had done in the past.

"We were just trying it out on our own necks," Kotwal said.

It was one designed to look at deeper parts of the neck to detect abnormalities with a patient's thyroid. When Kotwal put it on his neck, his colleagues looked concerned.

"My first instinct was, it's probably just a muscle, there's something wrong with the ultrasound machine that we're testing here," Kotwal said.

The machine picked up what was a suspicious-looking mass.

That night Kotwal got a biopsy, and by the beginning of the next week, he had been diagnosed with stage one thyroid cancer.

It was a conversation he was usually on the opposite side of.

"I've had this conversation innumerable times," Kotwal said.

Though, he admits he knew he had to let his doctors do the work.

"I had all this knowledge; once the moment I heard it was papillary deferential thyroid cancer, I kind of knew these things, but it was helpful to take a backseat and be the patient," Kotwal said.

He was told cancer had spread to his lymph nodes.

"Because it had spread from the thyroid, I would have to have surgery to both remove my thyroid gland as well as have a dissection of the left side to remove a lot of the lymph nodes, almost all the lymph nodes that are there," Kotwal said.

Now it's been eight months, and Kotwal is sharing his experience to hopefully ease the concern his patients may have after a similar diagnosis.

"If I see a patient who is going to be very anxious while waiting or after the results, they are very unclear as to what is going to happen," Kotwal said.

As a doctor who went from patient back to doctor, Kotwal said he's gained a new perspective.

"My outlook on that has changed a little bit," Kotwal said.

After his surgery, Kotwal was deemed cancer free.

ROCKVILLE, Md.— Michael D. Jensen, MD, FTOS, an endocrinologist with over 35 years of experience in research and practice and past president of The Obesity Society (TOS), is the new editor-in-chief of Obesity, the Society’s flagship, peer-reviewed, scientific journal, the organization announced today.

“I am honored to have been selected as the next editor of Obesity, which has continued to evolve into an ever stronger scientific journal by previous editors,” said Jensen, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minn.

Associate Editor-in-Chief Leanne Redman, PhD, FTOS, and Managing Editor Allison Templet will remain with the journal as Jensen transitions to his new role.

Jensen explained that his goal is to attract papers that advance the understanding of obesity at all levels, from the basic biology to how the environment contributes to the pre-disposition to or success in treating obesity. The journal’s Impact Factor is 9.298.

“I wish to provide helpful critiques to authors of all submitted manuscripts and keep a short turnaround time. The previous editors did an outstanding job—I feel like I’m coming to bat after Babe Ruth,” said Jensen.

Jensen previously served on the journal’s Editorial Board from 1996–2002 when it was known as Obesity Research. Since 2007, he has served on the Editorial Board under the publication’s current name of Obesity. Jensen was also senior associate editor of the journal Diabetes from 2011–2016.

He has won numerous awards and is a member of multiple associations, in addition to serving on advisory committees. Jensen served as past president of TOS from 2001–2002. In 2019, Jensen was the recipient of the George A. Bray Founders Award. He received the Take off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Research Achievement Award from the Society in 2010. Jensen is a member of the Association of American Physicians, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Diabetes Association, American Society of Nutrition, Endocrine Society among other groups. He served as chair of the Endocrine Society’s Obesity Theme Task Force from 2002–2004. Jensen was the president of Shaping America's Health: Association for Weight Management and Obesity Prevention from 2005–2007.

Former Associate Editor-in-Chief Donna Ryan, MD, observed “it is a great job – editing Obesity means being at the forefront of an area of medicine and science where discoveries are driving better outcomes for patients. Mike is a clinician scientist and ideally suited to lead the journal.”

“Our entire editorial team including Donna Ryan who was my accomplice for more than nine years thanks The Obesity Society for its confidence and support of our leadership of the journal over the past decade,” said outgoing Editor-in-Chief Eric Ravussin, PhD, FTOS. Ravussin will leave his role on Dec. 31, 2022.

Ravussin added “all in all, it has been quite a party with the progress of the journal! I personally extend my best wishes to Mike Jensen who is so qualified to take the leadership of the journal and to even better serve patients with obesity.”   

Jensen will start his new role in January 2023.

Reporters and editors interested in interviewing Jensen may contact TOS Director of Communications/Media Relations Chanel Carrington by sending an email request to ccarrington@obesity.org.

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The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading organization of scientists and health professionals devoted to understanding and reversing the epidemic of obesity and its adverse health, economic and societal effects. Combining the perspective of researchers, clinicians, policymakers and patients, TOS promotes innovative research, education and evidence-based clinical care to Excellerate the health and well-being of all people with obesity. For more information, visit www.obesity.org.

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