Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, is released to enable the flight or fight response, but when people stay in a state of high stress, levels of cortisol rise and may remain high. (WISE geek) The effect of excessive cortisol in the body whether from man -made drugs, an over productive pituitary gland, or tumors can cause Cushing syndrome and the range of disease it characterized by. Cushing disease can be caused by both outside and inside influences of your body. It occurs after prolonged exposure to increased levels of exogenous (delivered externally) or endogenous (delivered internally) glucocorticoids ,which are corticosteroids that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor. Synthetic versions of the cortisol hormone, corticosteroids,
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. There are four different types and variations of Endogenous Cushing syndrome, differentiated by the cause of it. They can be divided into ACTH –dependent and ACTH- independent forms. Pituitary adenoma characterized as a non-cancerous tumor in the pituitary gland which normally regulates cortisol production, is the number one cause of too much cortisol. It is the most common cause and type of Cushing syndrome. It usually occurs from excess production by one or both adrenal glands, or overproduction of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to make more cortisol. When this form of the syndrome develops, it's exclusively called Cushing disease. Although mostly seen in women, Cushing’s disease can affect nearly anyone. (Mayo …show more content…
Premature deaths in untreated Cushing’s syndrome are related to vascular disease such as myocardial infarction and stroke, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and Complications of diabetes and infections. When thinking of a solution for Cushing syndrome the most obvious answer is to try and reduce the amount of cortisol in the body. There are several treatment options which depend on the cause of the syndrome. Majority of treatment is surgical, especially if it is endogenous Cushing syndrome, since it can be treated by simply removing the tumor. (Peate and Holmes) Although many have to have surgery, endocrinologist also prescribe drugs and medical therapy to treat
. There are four different types and variations of Endogenous Cushing syndrome, differentiated by the cause of it. They can be divided into ACTH –dependent and ACTH- independent forms. Pituitary adenoma characterized as a non-cancerous tumor in the pituitary gland which normally regulates cortisol production, is the number one cause of too much cortisol. It is the most common cause and type of Cushing syndrome. It usually occurs from excess production by one or both adrenal glands, or overproduction of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to make more cortisol. When this form of the syndrome develops, it's exclusively called Cushing disease. Although mostly seen in women, Cushing’s disease can affect nearly anyone. (Mayo …show more content…
Premature deaths in untreated Cushing’s syndrome are related to vascular disease such as myocardial infarction and stroke, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and Complications of diabetes and infections. When thinking of a solution for Cushing syndrome the most obvious answer is to try and reduce the amount of cortisol in the body. There are several treatment options which depend on the cause of the syndrome. Majority of treatment is surgical, especially if it is endogenous Cushing syndrome, since it can be treated by simply removing the tumor. (Peate and Holmes) Although many have to have surgery, endocrinologist also prescribe drugs and medical therapy to treat