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By: Laura Brown, Sarah Afiz and Nick Olson
Cushing’s Syndrome
What is Cushing’s Syndrome?
Cushing’s syndrome is caused by prolonged exposure of the bodies’ tissue to high levels of the hormone cortisol
Cushing syndrome is also called hypercortisolism
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands Helps maintain proper glucose metabolism, regulation
of blood pressure, insulin released for blood sugar control, immune function and inflammatory response
Most importantly cortisol helps the body respond to stress (called the “stress hormone”)
Causes of Cushing’s
Majority of the people who suffer from Cushing’s syndrome have had prior use of glucocorticoid hormones
-Glucocorticoid hormones are used to prevent transplant rejection as well as treat inflammatory diseases such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
Causes of Cushing’s (cont.)
Other causes: Pituitary Adenomas: tumors of pituitary gland Adrenal gland overgrowth or adrenal tumors Too much stress put on the body (ex. Athletes
under intense training, pregnant women- carrying fetus)
Who’s affected?
Can affect anyone but the disease is extremely rare
Affects 10-15 people out of every million
Most commonly occurs in females ages 25-50
Any ethnicity
Symptoms
Upper body obesity (rounded face, increased neck fat)
Thinning around the arms and legs Delayed growth Easy bruising of skin Purplish-pink stretch marks on the
abdomen, thigh, buttocks, arms, and breasts
Symptoms (cont.)
High blood sugar, high blood pressure Depression and anxiety Increased hair growth in women Irregular menstrual cycles Bones are fragile, susceptible to fractures
easily
Treatments Depending on the reason for cortisol excess,
treatments include:
1. Surgery
2. Radiation
3. Chemotherapy
4. Cortisol inhibiting drug such as mitotane
New Treatment
Corcept Therapeutics Inc won U.S. approval for a drug known as Korlym that uses the active ingredient of the abortion pill RU-486
Korlym
Korlym blocks the binding of cortisol to its receptor
Korlym inhibits or reduces the effects of excess cortisol
Orphan drug status: Given to drugs discovered for rare diseases. Allows Corcept to have exclusive rights.
Other Facts
This disease is not inherited People who are more prone to developing
tumors are at greater risk If the disease is not treated, it can be lethal Cushing’s can also lead to heart attacks and
strokes 70% of patients with Cushing’s suffer from
diabetes.
Works Cited
1. Medecinenet. (2008, May 12). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/cushings_syndrome/article.htm
2. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010, September 11). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cushings-syndrome/DS00470
3. http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov. (july, 2008). Retrieved from http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cushings/cushings.aspx
4. Scott, E. (2011, September 22). Cortisol and stress: How to stay healthy. Retrieved from http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm
5. (n.d.). Cushing syndrome. [0]. Retrieved from http://flipper.diff.org/app/items/info/418
Works cited cont.
6. Keil, M. (2004). Cushing. Retrieved from http://csrf.net/page/cushings_syndrome_in_children.php
7. Adler, G. (2011, October 21). Cushing. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/117365-overview
8. Cushing. (1996, June). Retrieved from http://pituitary.mgh.harvard.edu/cushings.htm
9. Margulies, D. P. (n.d.). National adrenal diseases foundation: Adrenal diseases - cushing. Retrieved from http://www.nadf.us/diseases/cushings.htm
10. Adrenal glands. (2009, November 23). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002219.htm
11. (05/1). Retrieved from http://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/your-adrenal-glands
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