February 2025

Peer Reviewed Feature Articles
Renal medicine

Management of hyponatraemia: balancing salt and water

Rose Lin, Annabelle Warren

Hyponatraemia is the most common electrolyte disorder that is associated with long-term morbidity and mortality. Hyponatraemia with severe symptoms must be treated urgently to prevent severe neurological consequences.

Bone and mineral metabolism disorders

Vitamin D: an update

Rebecca S. Mason, Sarah C. Brennan, Christian Girgis

More recent recommendations on sun safety balance the adverse effects of prolonged sun exposure with the need for sunlight to synthesise vitamin D. Guidelines now reflect the ethnic diversity of the Australian population.

Diabetes

Differentiating between type 1 and type 2 diabetes: what are the challenges?

Liam Clifford, Angela Lee

Diabetes is increasing in prevalence and can present with nonspecific symptoms that can be difficult to classify at onset. It can be missed when an individual first presents to primary care or the emergency department. The correct diagnosis is vital in the management of diabetes and prevention of complications.

Peer Reviewed Regular Series
Perspectives

Treating vasomotor symptoms during menopause

Yvonne Chow

Vasomotor symptoms are the most dominant feature of the menopause and can have a significant impact on quality of life. The most effective treatment for these symptoms is menopausal hormone therapy. Its use should be an exercise in shared decision-making between the clinician and patient, with discussion of both the benefits and risks.

Case studies

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. Part of the autoimmune diabetes spectrum

Shivani K. Patel, Jerry R. Greenfield

A 58-year-old woman presents with symptoms of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). The clinical and biochemical features that suggest LADA, investigations to facilitate its diagnosis and how its management differs from that of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are discussed.

Physician-authored summaries and commentary on the most important medical research, provided by the NEJM Group, a division of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

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