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| LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
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| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 21
| Issue : 5 | Page : 787-788 |
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Endocrine covfefe
Sanjay Kalra
Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, Haryana, India
| Date of Web Publication | 15-Sep-2017 |
Correspondence Address:
Sanjay Kalra
Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital, Karnal, Haryana
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijem.IJEM_235_17
How to cite this article:
Kalra S. Endocrine covfefe. Indian J Endocr Metab 2017;21:787-8 |
Sir,
“Despite the constant negative press covfefe”
- Donald Trump.
While the world continues to debate the “true meaning” of covfefe,[1] there is at least one professional group which understands what usage of this noun conveys. Endocrinologists encounter a lot of covfefe in their daily work. As they strive to improve the hormonal and metabolic health of the people they care for, they are faced with unexpected opposition.
The qualified endocrinologist is well-trained to identify and manage hormonal dysfunction. What he or she may not be prepared to handle, however, is the vast amount of misinformation that individuals and the community harbor. Such misinformation, or “hormonal hearsay,” may range from harmless to life-threatening. It is this hormonal hearsay[2] that we describe as “endocrine covfefe.”
We approach the phenomenon of endocrine covfefe through a medical student's prism. The etiology of endocrine covfefe is multifactorial. Self-styled endocrinologists, practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), fitness gurus, manufacturers of non-proven “medicinal” products, and misguided laypersons; all churn out their own version of endocrine fables and myths. The pathogenesis of endocrine covfefe is similar to that of an infectious disease. Spread by word of mouth (i.e., by the ear) in the past, covfefe is now created on the internet. Social messaging media, such as Twitter, WhatsApp, and Messenger, have played an important role in bringing down the incubation period of covfefe to virtually zero.
The natural course of covfefe is marked by heterogeneity and multidirectional spread. Covfefe, akin to a syndrome, includes a constellation of untruths, half-told truths, and misconstrued truths, which masquerade as scientific facts. Covfefsters utilize this uncertainty to market unproven “hormonal” therapy for longevity, vitality, youthfulness, and sexuality. Such activities add spice to the otherwise drab, and somewhat boring, world of medical covfefe.
Clinical features of covfefe are diverse in their presentation. In general, endocrine covfefe has a faster rate of spread as compared to other medical covfefe. This is especially true if discussion revolves around diseases which are common (diabetes), which impact social wellbeing (obesity), or personal wellbeing (sexual dysfunction). Conditions which require self-discipline for treatment are exceptionally prone to covfefian slander: Popular hearsay usually revolves around interventions which do not require exercise or calorie restriction to manage illness. A favorite target of endocrine covfefscience is injectable therapy, such as insulin and growth hormone. In the hands of these covfefscience, life saving drugs are given demoniac or asuravian properties which project them (and their prescribers) as destroyers, rather than protectors, of human health.[3]
Endocrine covfefe has a definite anti-salutogenic effect on the health of the community. This may range from mere discomfort or wastage of resources (e.g., eating live fish, procuring camel milk to cure diabetes)[4] to life-threatening situations (e.g., shifting from insulin to CAM in type 1 diabetes; sudden stoppage of steroids).
The management of endocrine covfefe is a matter of debate. No fool proof management strategy has been developed so far. Leading endocrine and diabetes organizations have well-developed patient/public education websites,[5],[6] to spread public awareness, and minimize e-hearsay, but tangible results are yet to be seen.
While the rest of the world figures out what covfefe means, endocrinologists must campaign to contain, or ban, endocrine covfefe. In concordance, our fellow medical professionals must work to minimize medical covfefe in particular and health covfefe in general.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
 References | |  |
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| 2. | Kalra S, Balachandran K. De-hearsay (Diabetes e-Hearsay). J Pak Med Assoc 2017;67:1293-95.  [ PUBMED] |
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| 4. | Shareha AM, Abujnah YS, Gnan SO, Elhririg MA. Effect of raw camel milk on type 2 diabetic patients. Libyan J Agric 2016;21:74-85. |
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