European Hormone Day 2024: Endocrine community unites to raise public awareness and push for policy action on hormone health

European Hormone Day 2024: Endocrine community unites to raise public awareness and push for policy action on hormone health

European Hormone Day returns for the third year today, 24 April 2024, putting a spotlight on the vital role of hormones in chronic diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, cancer and obesity, as well as many rare diseases.

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), the European Hormone and Metabolism Foundation (ESE Foundation), and partners from key groups and organisations across Europe and beyond will join forces to highlight simple steps we can all take towards better hormone health.

This builds on the success of the previous two campaigns, when the endocrine community issued a collective call for change to put hormones at the heart of health policy in Europe, focusing on four key areas including obesity, cancer, rare endocrine diseases and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. ESE and the ESE Foundation published Recognising the Key Role of Hormones in European Health: ‘The Milano 2022 Declaration in 2022, and a public-facing annex to the Milano Declaration, 10 Recommendations for Good Hormone Health, in 2023. An updated infographic of the 10 Recommendations is available here.

Jérôme Bertherat, ESE President, says

“With European Parliament elections on the horizon, it’s vital that we keep talking about the importance of endocrine issues and make sure new and returning policymakers are aware of the steps they can take to improve Europe’s hormone health. European Hormone Day is a timely opportunity to call for a renewed commitment to legislative initiatives such as REACH, which will tackle the harmful effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and to funding programs that ensure Europe leads the way in essential endocrinology research.”

One such example is the conference on ‘Tomorrow’s Chemicals Policies: Perspectives and Challenges’, hosted by the Belgian EU Presidency yesterday and today (23-24 April 2024), coinciding with EHD. Experts, scientists, civil society and industry representatives met to discuss the current landscape of chemicals policy, including endocrine disruptors and ways to improve the effectiveness of REACH legislation. Prof. Robin Peeters (Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam) spoke on behalf of ESE.

Martin Reincke, Chair of the ESE Foundation, says:

“European Hormone Day is a fantastic opportunity for organisations with a shared interest in endocrine health to join forces and advocate for better hormone health on a much bigger scale than we might be able to do individually. We encourage everyone to use the hashtag #BecauseHormonesMatter today and on related awareness days so we can celebrate and learn from others in the endocrine community and spread the message to a wider audience.”

More information about European Hormone Day can be found at www.europeanhormoneday.org

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KEY FACTS – Notes to the Editor:

• In Europe, more than 200,000 new cases of cancer are linked with obesity each year. Almost 6 in 10 adults and 1 in 3 children live with overweight or obesity. In adults, a 5-10% reduction in weight may lead to health benefits from reducing obesity-related comorbidities. More needs to be done to recognise obesity as a chronic relapsing disease, dedicate resources for prevention and treatment, and fund research to develop new treatment options.

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death and morbidity in Europe, contributing to 1.9 million deaths per year. More than 90,000 new cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed every year, primarily in young women, and median survival of neuro-endocrine tumours is only 41 months. The Beating Cancer Plan and Horizon Europe research calls need to account for the endocrine components of cancer, including the longer-term quality of life and endocrine comorbidities of cancer therapies.
• Rare diseases affect 30 million Europeans overall, including patients suffering from more than 400 rare endocrine diseases. These patients need faster diagnosis, innovative treatments and equal access to care around Europe. European Reference Networks bring together knowledge and expertise that can help drive innovation and research and should be supported and embedded in the national health care systems.
• Over 1500 chemicals of concern (endocrine disrupting chemicals) used in packaging, pesticides and biocides, cosmetics and toys contribute to many incidences of endocrine cancers, obesity, diabetes and thyroid disease and rising rates of infertility. This generates a cost of between €157 and €270 billion per year in health care expenses and lost earnings. Stronger legislation is needed to protect vulnerable groups in our population, including pregnant women, babies and children in their development.

About the European Society of Endocrinology

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) provides a platform to develop and share leading research and best knowledge in endocrine science and medicine. By uniting and representing every part of the endocrine community, ESE works to improve the lives of patients.

Through the 48 National Societies involved with the ESE Council of Affiliated Societies (ECAS) and partnership with specialist endocrine societies, ESE and its partners jointly represent a community of over 20,000 European endocrinologists.

ESE and its partner societies work to promote knowledge and education in the field of endocrinology to health care professionals, researchers, patients and the public.

ESE informs policy makers on health decisions at the highest level through advocacy efforts across Europe. Find out more: www.ese-hormones.org.

About the European Hormone and Metabolism Foundation

The overarching aim of the European Hormone and Metabolism Foundation – Foundation of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE Foundation) is for public benefit.

The European Hormone and Metabolism Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving human health. By focusing on people with endocrine disorders, the ESE Foundation’s mission is to promote endocrine health, address endocrine disease, and improve patient care. The Foundation’s goal is to devote to hormone and metabolic health. To ensure the best possible quality of life, the Foundation’s mission is to raise public and political awareness of hormone and metabolic health and disease, as well as research, policies, and care.

Find out more: www.ese-foundation.org.