Endocrine drugs overview

Hormones are secreted by specific tissues and transported by blood to distant tissues where they act. They may be natural (animal), synthetic, or semisynthetic, and are often used for replacement therapy (e.g., insulin for diabetes) as well as other therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Some drugs (thyroid inhibitors, oral antidiabetics) are not hormones but influence hormone synthesis, secretion, or activity. Key systems: pituitary, gonadal, adrenocorticosteroid, thyroid, parathyroid, and insulin - each modifiable by agonists, antagonists, inhibitors, or release modifiers.

Three drug strategies recur: REPLACE a missing hormone (insulin, levothyroxine), BLOCK a hormone or its receptor (tamoxifen, flutamide, PTU), or MODULATE synthesis/secretion (aromatase inhibitors, sulfonylureas).

📖 “Hormones are secreted by tissues, carried by blood to distant targets. Used for replacement or other purposes. Some drugs influence hormone synthesis/secretion/activity. Systems: pituitary, gonadal, adrenocortical, thyroid, parathyroid, insulin.”