Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital welcomes two new physicians to its endocrinology services.

 

Zubair Mirza, M.D., joined Houston Methodist Endocrinology Associates. Mirza is board-certified in internal medicine. He attended medical school at Deccan College of Medical Sciences in India and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri. Mirza obtained a fellowship in diabetes and metabolism at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and, in June, he completed his fellowship in endocrinology at Banner University of Arizona in Tucson.

 

Maria Cristina Caga-Anan, M.D., joined Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group in Spring, Texas. She is board-certified in diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism in addition to her board-certification in internal medicine. Caga-Anan received her medical education at Cebu Institute of Medicine in Cebu City, Philippines. She completed her residency in internal medicine at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn and her fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Caga-Anan comes to Houston Methodist Willowbrook from Affinity Medical Associates in Tomball, Texas.

 

Although endocrinology has become almost synonymous with the treatment of diabetes, the field of endocrinology is quite broad. Mirza and Caga-Anan treat both diabetes and the spectrum of disorders associated with hormones, which are secreted by the endocrine system.

 

“The majority of our patients have diabetes,” said Mirza. “Nowadays, the diabetes armamentarium is extremely large. It’s no longer a ‘one size fits all’ treatment. Patients may need to change their existing regimens, or they have comorbidities to consider in light of specific drug toxicities.”

 

“People know about diabetes and endocrinology because diabetes is so prevalent,” said Caga-Anan. “Endocrinology has a very broad scope, and the manifestations of hormone imbalances can be wide-ranging. A thyroid imbalance can affect the heart, the hair, the skin — pretty much every single organ system in the body.”

 

Endocrine diseases/conditions treated include:

  • Acromegaly (excess growth hormone)
  • Adrenal insufficiency
  • Calcium abnormalities
  • Cushing syndrome
  • Essential and secondary hypertension
  • Graves’ disease
  • Hashimoto’s disease
  • Hyperaldosteronism
  • Hyperlipidemia/hypercholesterolemia
  • Hypo/hyperthyroidism
  • Male hypogonadism/low testosterone
  • Obesity
  • Osteoporosis
  • PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
  • Pituitary disorders
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Type 1 and type 2 diabetes

 

“I believe in empowering patients, which is key to building trust,” said Mirza. “The only way this can happen is to answer all the patients’ questions and discuss different treatment options based on their labs and clinical presentation. Once I determine both of us are on the same page, then we move forward and treat.”

 

“I enjoy having the opportunity to educate patients about their diseases or condition and explain their treatments,” said Caga-Anan. “I think when they know the cause and how the medications work, they are more likely to be compliant with the treatment regimen.”

 

To schedule an appointment with Mirza, call 281.737.1171 or with Caga-Anan, call 281.737.1151.