50 years ago the first issue of our journal was published. Then it was called "Problems of endocrinology and hormone therapy." However, much earlier, before the start of World War II, there were 2 periodicals - the predecessors of our journal: "Bulletin of Endocrinology" and "Problems of Endocrinology".

In 1956, D. Adams and N. Purves first discovered a factor in the serum of patients with Graves-Bazedov’s disease (toxic goiter) that stimulated the thyroid gland, but differed in structure from thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). In the early 80s, several researchers discovered the existence of a special group of antibodies to rTSH- TGAb (thyroid growth antibodies - antibodies that stimulate thyroid growth).

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that develops as a result of autoimmune destruction of β-cells. At the present stage, it is customary to distinguish 6 stages in the development of the disease: 1) a genetic predisposition due to the presence of haplotypes of genes of the HLA system of classes I, II and III, as well as other genes associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus; 2) the impact of various environmental factors that initiate the onset of autoimmune processes, leading to the development of insulin; 3) the development of immunological disorders; 4) stage of pronounced immunological disorders; 5) the manifestation of the disease; 6) complete destruction of β-cells.

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most severe and prognostically unfavorable complications of diabetes. The mechanisms of development of diabetic nephropathy remain the subject of intensive study. Currently, the leading role in the development of this complication is assigned to hyperglycemia and its associated metabolic disorders. The latter include collagen metabolic disorders.

Exercise has been seen as beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. This therapy was recognized as useful and was widely used by physicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the discovery of insulin, many researchers recommended physical activity as one of the main principles for diabetes management.
Currently, due to the development of new opportunities in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, physical activity is not considered as the only necessary part of the impact on each patient with diabetes, as it was in the past. Over the past 2 decades, many studies using new technologies have explored the relationship between physical fitness and metabolic control of diabetes. With the publication of new clinical reviews, it has become increasingly apparent that exercise can be a therapeutic tool in different patients with diabetes or the risk of developing diabetes, but their effect, like any other therapy, should be understandable. From a practical point of view, this means that doctors must understand and analyze both the risk and the gain from physical activity for each individual patient. On the other hand, it is generally accepted that physical exercise is associated with an improvement in the quality of life and has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system; therefore, metabolic control should not be just one criterion in assessing the beneficial effects of training programs for patients with diabetes. It is important to recommend optimal training for patients to improve glycemic control and the state of the cardiovascular system, or to help select appropriate therapy if the patient independently chooses the type of exercise.

Acromegaly is a severe disease caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH), usually a pituitary tumor (98%), which in turn leads to a significant increase in the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by the liver, which mainly determines the tissue effect of GH.
The larger the size of the tumor, the more it produces GH and the less likely it is to achieve adequate control of hormonal secretion. Large tumors that extend beyond the sella turcica are found in 70–80% of patients with acromegaly and present the greatest difficulties for successful treatment.
Increased secretion of GH and IGF-1 gives adverse systemic, metabolic and, possibly, neoplastic effects, which reduces the life expectancy of patients with acromegaly and increases the mortality rate by 2-3 times.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is one of the important androgens synthesized by the adrenal cortex from 17-hydroxypregnenolone. In the mesh zone of the adrenal cortex, with the participation of enzymes 17, 20-desmolase and 17-a-hydroxylase, the cholesterol is sequentially converted through 17-hydroxypregnenolone (17-OH-pregnenolone) to DHEA. It has been proven that the adrenal glands are mainly involved in the synthesis of DHEA (70%) and its less active metabolite, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (85%). Only 10% DHEA is synthesized in the gonads. There is evidence of the formation of DHEA in the central nervous system, where enzyme systems (P450c17) are detected in astrocytes and neurons that synthesize DHEA from pregnenolone.

In 2003, the Senate of Kaunas Medical University approved the detailed program "Endocrinology" for 2003-2007, which is overseen by the Institute of Endocrinology. The program involves 10 clinics (endocrinology, radiology, surgery, pathological anatomy, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, etc.), the Department of Biology and the Institute of Cardiology. This is an important document regarding the activities of the institute in the coming years.