Gerald M. "Jerry" Reaven (July 28, 1928 – February 12, 2018) was an American

endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...

and professor emeritus in medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine in

Stanford, California Stanford is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is the home of Stanford University. The population was 21,150 at the 2020 census. Stanford is an unincorporated area of ...

, United States. Reaven's work on insulin resistance and

diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

with John W. Farquhar goes back at least to 1965. A long-term researcher into

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, he achieved significant notability with his 1988 Banting Lecture (organized annually by the American Diabetes Association in memory of

Frederick Banting Sir Frederick Grant Banting (November 14, 1891 – February 21, 1941) was a Canadian medical scientist, physician, painter, and Nobel laureate noted as the co-discoverer of insulin and its therapeutic potential. In 1923, Banting and Joh ...

). In his lecture, he propounded the theory that

central obesity Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity and truncal obesity, is a condition when excessive visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen has built up to the extent that it is likely to have a negative impact on health. Abdominal obesity has ...

(male-type or apple-shaped obesity), diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) have a common cause in insulin resistance and

impaired glucose tolerance Prediabetes is a component of the metabolic syndrome and is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels that fall below the threshold to diagnose diabetes mellitus. It usually does not cause symptoms but people with prediabetes often have obesit ...

. Initially titled "syndrome X", the constellation of symptoms is now known as the metabolic syndrome and an object of extensive scientific inquiry, especially given that the combination strongly predisposes for cardiovascular disease. Still, Reaven believes that contemporary criteria are arbitrary and that it may not be necessary to define it as a diagnostic entity more than a pathophysiological parameter. He obtained his academic qualifications at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

and did his internship there. After research work in Stanford and two years in the U.S. Army medical corps he completed his residency at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. He then took up a

US Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant S ...

research post at Stanford, where he progressed to a full professorship in 1970. He led endocrinology and gerontology research.Gerald M. Reaven
curriculum vitae
/ref> Apart from his work at Stanford he was also Senior Vice President for Research for Shaman Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in South San Francisco. He was a member of several research organizations and received numerous prizes for his research achievements. He was co-author of a popular book on Syndrome X and its repercussions on cardiovascular disease.

Footnotes

External links

Interview
- Canadian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation {{DEFAULTSORT:Reaven, Gerald 1928 births 2018 deaths American endocrinologists Stanford University School of Medicine faculty Pritzker School of Medicine alumni University of Michigan alumni People from Gary, Indiana