Editorial: Insights in renal endocrinology: 2021

Renal endocrinology includes biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and pathophysiological aspects of hormones and autacoids released by the kidney, in addition to nonrenal hormones that have effects on renal function (1).Various hormones are produced/activated by the kidney such as erythropoietin, reninangiotensin system, and calcitriol.Moreover, the kidney produces local hormones such as prostaglandins and adrenomedullin, and enzymes such as kallikreins, which cleave pro-hormones in other distant sites.Additionally, the kidney is a primary target for many hormones like the natriuretic peptides, angiotensin, and aldosterone.Disturbance in the renal endocrine system is encountered in primary acute and chronic kidney diseases and observed in many other diseases such as diabetes mellitus.Of note, other hormonal abnormalities such as thyroid, parathyroid disorders, and acromegaly can affect renal function and structure (2).The present Research Topic aims to provide a platform for novel research in the field of renal endocrinology.The Research Topic includes four original research articles which provide insights into relationships between endogenous biological factors and indicators of renal function, that may possess pathogenic roles in various renal endocrinology disorders.Understanding these relationships would help in the development of better diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic strategies for various diseases associated with renal endocrinology diseases.Hypertension is a known risk factor for white matter lesions (WMLs).WMLs are vascular pathologies that affect the small cerebral blood vessels because of hypoperfusion, ischemia, blood-brain barrier breakdown, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, or genetic factors.These lesions increase the risk of cognitive decline, depression, stroke incidence and recurrence, and even death (3).Indeed, hypertensive patients are highly susceptible to the development of cerebral diseases, and inhibition of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been reported to attenuate cognitive deficits associated with aging, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease (4).However, about 30% of hypertensive Frontiers in Endocrinology frontiersin.org01