Addison's Disease - Adrenocortical Hypofunction

Cushing’s syndrome is a rare endocrine disorder that occurs when your body is exposed to an overabundance of the hormone cortisol.3 Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. The interruption of cortisol secretion can cause weight gain and can ultimately determine where you put the weight on.8 There are many underlying causes such as Pituitary Adenomas, Ectopic ACTH Syndrome, Adrenal Tumors, and Familial Cushing’s Syndrome.2 The majority of these people affected by this hormonal disorder experience weak muscles, increase fat, high blood pressure, etc.1 Although thousands are affected in various ways, there are currently several channels of treatment administered by medical professionals. Through the use of improving technology, medical professionals are better understanding the disorder, allowing them to develop better treatment practices.

According to http://www.webmd.com/, “the adrenal glands don't make enough of a hormone called cortisol, or less often, a related hormone called aldosterone.” That's why doctors sometimes call the illness ''chronic adrenal insufficiency,'' or hypocortisolism. “most important function is to help the body respond to stress. It also helps regulate your body's use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat; helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function; and controls inflammation.” Aldosterone helps your kidneys regulate the amount of salt and water in your body -- the main way you regulate blood volume and keep your blood pressure under control. When aldosterone levels drop too low, your kidneys cannot keep your salt and water levels in balance. This makes your blood pressure drop. “There are two forms of Addison's disease. If the problem is with the adrenal glands themselves, it's called primary adrenal insufficiency. If the adrenal glands are affected by a problem starting somewhere else -- such as the pituitary gland -- it's called secondary adrenal

     Addison’s disease is a disorder of the endocrine system. It is a hormonal disorder that can strike anyone, any gender at any age. Addison’s disease has also been called Adrenal Insufficiency (hypocortisolism) because the root of the disease is in the adrenal gland not producing enough of the hormone cortisol, or sometimes not enough of the hormone aldosterone to satisfy the body’s needs.

The mineralocorticoid (aldosterone) is normally released by the adrenal cortex in response to decreased sodium and increased pottasium levels; the hormonally acts to promote the retention of Na and the excretion of K. It isn't working; hence the abnormal serum levels.

Cushing 's syndrome (CS) is characterized by pathologically elevated free glucocorticoid levels. Endogenous hypercortisolism is usually due to ACTH-secreting pituitary corticotropic adenomas and less often due to ectopic ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine neoplasms or ACTH-independent adrenal cortisol hypersecretion (Yaneva, 2010). Cushing 's disease occurs infrequently in an inherited setting in both of these conditions (Yaneva, 2010).

Different tests are usually performed to quantify the levels of cortisol, such as treating patients with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone acts like cortisol for the patient's body. Upon delivery to a patient who does not have adrenal tumor, the production of the cortisol will decrease. On the other hand if a patient has an adrenal tumor, then hormone levels will stay high even after receiving dexamethasone.

cope in the face of danger. In situations of chronic threat, a condition called ‘hypercortisolism’

1. Cushing's disease is a hormonal disorder which is caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It is sometimes referred to as hypercortisolism, it is fairly rare and it most commonly affects adults between the ages of 20 to 50. There is an estimated 10 to 15 of every million people who are affected every year.

To receive a diagnosis from a doctor, he or she will conduct the following. First, a blood test will measure the levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic in your blood stream. The test will tell the doctor if adrenal insufficiency may be causing the signs and symptoms a patient may be associating with. An adrenocorticotropin stimulation test will measure the level of cortisol in your blood before and after an injection of synthetic adrenocorticotropic is put into the body. If the adrenal glands are damaged, the andreocorptropic test wil will show that the cortisol in the patient 's body is limited or that there is none. The third type of test is an insulin-induced hypoglycemia test. If a doctor suspects that pituitary disease is a cause of adrenal insufficiency, he or she will perform a test involving checking blood sugar and cortisol levels at certain times after insulin is injected into

Cortisol is vital in maintaining bodily homeostasis. Some roles of cortisol include, maintaining blood pressure, slowing down the immune system 's inflammatory response and helping the body to respond to stress.

A disorder that takes place when your body produces an insufficient amount of certain hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands is called Addison’s disease. With Addison’s disease, the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and often times an insufficient amount of aldosterone as well. Doctors sometimes refer to Addison’s disease as the illness of chronic adrenal insufficiency, or also called hypocortisolism.

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone secreted by the fasicularis layer of the adrenal cortex. One of the most common adrenal disorder is Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome is caused by elevated ACTH and subsequent excessive cortisol secretion. Major causes of Cushing syndrome involve ACTH-dependent, and ACTH-independent. ACTH-dependent includes ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, and ectopic ACTH, while ACTH-independent includes functioning adrenocortical tumor, and exogenous glucocorticoid administration.1 In ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, Cushing syndrome is the most common cause of noniatrogenic hypercortisolism accounts for about 60% of the cases. It is more prevalent in women than men with a diagnosed age around 20-40 years old. This

Addison disease effects the Endocrine system because the adrenal glands doesn’t produce enough of the hormone cortisol which the brain sends to the adrenal instructing them to make cortisol called secondary adrenal insufficiency

Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, is a deadly genetic disease that affects 1 in 35, 000 people. It most severely affects boys and men. It knows no racial, ethnic, or geographic barriers. ALD is currently not curable, but doctors can help slow progression. Symptoms of ALD include weak muscles, poor appetite, weight loss, paralysis, seizures, developmental delay , mental retardation , and vision and hearing impairment. Treatment methods differ depending on the type of ALD one has. Steroids can be used to treat Addison’s disease. Other treatments include: physical therapy to loosen muscles, medication to relieve seizures, or taking Lorenzo’s oil to help lower elevated VLCFA levels. This can harm one’s spinal cord, brain, adrenal glands, and testes.

With Cushings syndrome, this cycle is disrupted, resulting in an excess of circulating cortisol. There are multiple mechanisms that can disrupt the cycle and they can be classified as either ACTH-dependent or ACTH-independent Cushings Syndrome.