Changing the name of diabetes insipidus: a position statement of The Working Group for Renaming Diabetes Insipidus. Issue 5 (14th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Arima, Hiroshi; Cheetham, Timothy; Christ-Crain, Mirjam; Cooper, Deborah; Gurnell, Mark; Drummond, Juliana B; Levy, Miles; McCormack, Ann I; Verbalis, Joseph; Newell-Price, John; Wass, John A H
• Is Part Of: European journal of endocrinology. Volume 187:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: P1
• Page End: P3
• Publication Date: 2022-10-14
• Subjects: Endocrinology -- Periodicals; 616.4005
• DOI: 10.1530/EJE-22-0751
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0804-4643

Abstract

Abstract: ' What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet .' (Juliet, from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare). Shakespeare's implication is that a name is nothing but a word and it therefore represents a convention with no intrinsic meaning. Whilst this may be relevant to romantic literature, disease names do have real meanings, and consequences, in medicine. Hence, there must be a very good rationale for changing the name of a disease that has a centuries-old historical context. A working group of representatives from national and international endocrinology, nephrology and pediatric societies now proposes changing the name of 'diabetes insipidus' to 'arginine vasopressin deficiency (AVP-D)' for central etiologies and 'arginine vasopressin resistance (AVP-R)' for nephrogenic etiologies. This editorial provides both the historical context and the rationale for this proposed name change.