Internal medicine - Metabolic diseases, metabolic syndrome

The specialists of the Institute of Internal Medicine of the University of Debrecen and the YouMed Patient Care Centre provide assistance in the investigation and treatment of the following diseases:

The professional diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, metabolic diseases, metabolic syndrome - obesity, blood fat disorders is of great importance for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Some metabolic disorders are hereditary, resulting from the absence or abnormal functioning of enzymes responsible for biochemical reactions. Hormones, which also regulate certain metabolic processes, are responsible for the other part. As a national and regional centre for lipid and obesity medicine, the profile also includes the evaluation of patients for surgical treatment of obesity. To facilitate the rehabilitation of metabolic patients and to help obese people to lose weight, a Movement Therapy Laboratory and a teaching kitchen are available to patients. In diabetes - diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2), there is an increase in blood glucose, which is caused by insufficient production or reduced effectiveness of the hormone called insulin. Neuropathy is a severe complication of diabetes. With early detection and timely treatment, 85% of amputations can be prevented.

Endocrine diseases are characterised by dysfunctions of the endocrine glands - the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pancreas glands. The Endocrine Centre can rely on a broad diagnostic background - state-of-the-art imaging, CT, MR, isotope techniques, PET CT, thyroid biopsy, a wide range of hormone determinations. The diagnosis and treatment of endocrine orbitopathy associated with Graves-Basedow disease and tumours of the endocrine system is particularly important. If surgery is indicated, trained thyroid surgeons and pituitary surgeons proceed with the treatment. Screening tests for thyroid diseases can be recommended to everyone who has been exposed to radiation at any time in their lives, to women planning to start a family before becoming pregnant, in case of suspected thyroid cancer or other symptoms and complaints of thyroid diseases, according to medical opinion.

For autoimmune diseases, the immune system perceives the body's own components as ‘foreign bodies’ and seeks to destroy them. The components to be destroyed (antigens) are usually proteins or polysaccharides found on the surface or inside the cells.  During the immune response, inflammation develops in the affected tissue and, over time, the cells that synthesise the protein and the tissue that the cells form can be damaged. Immunology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of more common diseases such as mixed connective tissue disease, SLE, Sjögren's, non-differentiated collegenosis, progressive systemic sclerosis, Raynaud's syndrome, vasculitis, allergies, and other autoimmune pathogenesis.  Specialists have access to a wide range of laboratory backgrounds for the care of patients.

Gastroenterological diseases include diseases of the digestive tract. Diseases of the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, pancreas, liver and biliary tract include oesophageal motility disorders, reflux disease, gastritis, peptic ulcers, Helicobacter pylori infection, inflammation of the gallbladder and pancreas, a wide spectrum of liver diseases, bleeding in the digestive tract and tumours, and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.   These include malabsorption, coeliac disease or functional gastrointestinal diseases such as IBS. Modern examination methods and, if required, interventions are available to patients: in addition to imaging tests, traditional endoscopies and interventions such as endoscopic polypectomy, the Centre's specialists also offer capsule endoscopy, ERCP and EST

Geriatrics deals with the health problems of the elderly. The physiological changes associated with ageing increase susceptibility to disease. The ability to adapt to external and internal changes is reduced, body mass is reduced by about 0.3 kg per year, muscle strength and tone decrease, voluntary movement slows, pain threshold increases, blood pressure rises, the vital and total lung capacity decreases, metabolic and functional disturbances occur. They often need treatment for cardiovascular disease, dementia, musculoskeletal complaints, and the need for careful pain management comes to the fore.

The treatment of haematological diseases is based on accurate diagnosis, for which the Department of Haematology has state-of-the-art testing facilities. Onco-haematological diseases (leukaemias, lymphomas, other malignant haematological diseases) are treated at the University of Debrecen to high professional standards. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is also part of the state-of-the-art treatment, which contributes to the improvement and cure of patients with hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma, various non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphomas, leukaemias.

Specialists in the treatment and care of haemophilia and thrombotic diseases, specialists in blood clotting disorders provide patients with a broad laboratory background.

Specialists interested in rare diseases deal with rare cases of diagnostic difficulty with atypical symptoms, including the internal medicine background of skin symptoms, spontaneous fetal loss, difficulties in getting pregnant, and can help in identifying and treating the disease or in referring patients to a specialist centre with expertise in the disease.

The Centre has a decades-long tradition of treating kidney diseases. The first kidney biopsy in Hungary was performed at the University of Debrecen. Treatment with chronic haemodialysis has been available since 1970. The expanded Extracorporeal Organ Replacement Centre will enable even more effective care for patients with kidney failure, where liver replacement and apheresis treatments are also available.

Locomotor diseases are treated by specialists at the internationally renowned University Centre for Rheumatology. In addition to aspects of the development, early recognition and modern treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune locomotor diseases (arthritis - rheumatoid, felty, capla, juvenile idiopathic, reactive, septic and spondyloarthropathies) with osteoporosis, patients with crystal arthropathies (gout), degenerative diseases - arthrosis, spondylosis - have access to the currently available state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities and treatments. In addition to conservative medication and now routine biological therapy, isotope joint therapy, a complex physiotherapy unit helps people with chronic osteoarthritis to recover: physiotherapy, electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, ultrasound, Bioptron lamp, soft laser are available to patients. The Nagyerdei Spa with its excellent thermal water, balneotherapy and wellness facilities is just 500 metres from the institution.

Last update: 2023. 07. 03. 08:43