CLINICAL SERVICES

Dr Ogilvie has extensive and long-standing experience in the investigation, diagnosis and management of all areas of internal medicine including:

DIABETES & ENDOCRINOLOGY

Dr Ogilvie is a registered subspecialist in the field of Diabetes and Endocrinology. As such she is an expert in hormones and their associated disorders. Hormones are chemical messengers produced in tiny amounts by endocrine glands, which are secreted directly into the bloodstream and carried to target tissues or organs where they exert a specific biochemical or physiological effect. Most glands are controlled by the pituitary gland (‘the master gland’). Disease occurs when glands produce too much or too little of their respective hormone, or when target tissues respond inappropriately to that hormone. The diagram below shows the location of the endocrine glands. This is followed by a description of the most important functions and problems associated with these glands and their hormones.

DIABETES

ENDOCRINOLOGY

GLP-1 AND GLP1/INCRETIN AGONISTS (e.g.. OZEMPIC AND MOUNJARO)

These were first developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and have had a transformative effect on its therapy, but are also very useful as weight loss agents.

Key Points

  • They are highly effective in the treatment of high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes
  • They induce substantial weight loss in people who are overweight or obese, whether or not they have type 2 diabetes
  • Trials have shown that they reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes, and in obese people with atherosclerotic disease.
  • They have been shown to reduce the risks of kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes
  • Obesity associated conditions (e.g. diabetes, metabolic dysfunction, heart failure, sleep apnoea, knee osteoarthritis) improve with their use
  • Commonly used agents are given by injection but oral preparations are becoming available
  • The therapeutic potential of these agents extends to a range of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, liver disease, neurodegenerative disease and substance abuse disorders, all of which are areas of current research
  • Like all medicines they may have adverse effects – discuss with your doctor before use

Location of Endocrine Glands

internal-medicine-diagram