Adrenal Health
Is Your Cortisol Elevated?
Elevated blood cortisol, a stress hormone, can contribute to various health issues, including weight gain, diabetes, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, PCOS, and notably, cardiovascular disease.
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Why Homeostasis Matters for Your Health
Homeostasis is the body’s ability to adapt continuously — in order to maintain stable internal conditions despite external environmental shifts. At the heart of this intricate regulatory system lies the endocrine feedback loop — the foundational mechanism by which the body achieves and sustains homeostasis.
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Categorized as Adrenal Health, Diabetes Care, Homeostasis, Insights from Dr. Tashko, Physiology, Pituitary Health, Thyroid Health
What Is the Endocrine Feedback Loop?
As an endocrinologist, a clear understanding of endocrine feedback loops is paramount. These loops play a vital role in visualizing the endocrine system and, more importantly, in practicing endocrinology correctly.
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Categorized as Adrenal Health, Insights from Dr. Tashko, Pancreas Health, Physiology, Pituitary Health, Thyroid Health
What is Endocrinology?
Endocrinology is a field of medical science that focuses on the study of hormones and the endocrine system. It’s a branch of medicine that plays a vital role in maintaining our overall health and well-being.
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Categorized as Adrenal Health, Diabetes Care, Insights from Dr. Tashko, Parathyroid Health, Pituitary Health, Thyroid Health
Need an Adrenal Specialist in Rockville, MD?
Adrenal disorders, though not uncommon, are often overlooked, so you need an adrenal specialist in Rockville, MD to properly diagnose and treat them.
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BrigHTN Study Highlights: Baxdrostat as a New Hope for Difficult-to-Control Hypertension
Inhibiting aldosterone synthase presents a promising approach to treating hypertension. However, it is key to ensure selective inhibition to avoid compromising cortisol production. Recently, researchers have identified Baxdrostat as a highly selective AS inhibitor that does not interfere with cortisol synthesis. The specificity of Baxdrostat in inhibiting aldosterone synthase over cortisol synthase is 100:1
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New FDA approval: oral medication for Cushing’s disease
Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a rare condition. It’s health consequences can be severe, leading to visceral adiposity, muscle weakness, depression, insulin resistance, diabetes, blood clots, reduced immune system, and cardiovascular disease. A portion of patients diagnosed with CS has Cushing’s disease (CD). In Cushing’s disease, the root cause of hypercortisolism is a pituitary tumor producing excessive ACTH hormone. The preferred treatment is pituitary surgery. Unfortunately, in a small subset of patients, the operation is not…
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Levoketoconazole therapy for Cushing’s syndrome
Cushing’s syndrome is defined by a persistent or cyclical increase in blood cortisol concentrations. The professional diagnosis is based on two or more positive tests: low dose dexamethasone suppression, late-night salivary cortisol, or 24-hour urinary free cortisol. Surgery is the treatment of choice, which often leads to a permanent cure. However, not infrequently, the source of hypercortisolism cannot be identified, or surgical intervention is not sufficient. In such circumstances, medical therapy is preferred over watchful…
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Primary Hyperaldosteronism in Obesity
In this retrospective study, researchers analyzed 400 adults with hypertension caused by primary hyperaldosteronism. They discovered that obese patients had smaller aldosterone-producing tumors than their lower-BMI counterparts. However, despite their smaller size, these tumors appeared more aggressive and had higher hormonal activity.
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Right adrenal tumors are frequently missed
A serious article analyzing the prevalence of left-sided vs. right-sided adrenal tumors. Prior observations have consistently shown that left-sided adenomas are more common than right-sided ones, in 2:1 ratio. Although a reason could be embryological, leading to a greater left adrenal vascularity, innervation, volume and mass; authors suggest that asymmetry could also be due to anatomical locations of the glands. The left adrenal gland is surrounded by the hypo-attenuated visceral fat, making it easier to…
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Late-night salivary cortisol measurements are not consistent in cushing disease
The study reveals that late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) measures are variable in cushing disease, particularly in those with recurrent or persistent illness. Less variability was seen in new cases of the disease who had not undergone treatment. Hypercortisolemia is expected to be lower in treated vs. untreated patients, thus it is reasonable to suspect similar inconsistencies in LNSC values in those with subtle hypercortisolemia, frequently seen with adrenal adenomas. GT
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A rare source of cushing’s syndrome: ovary
Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a rare illness that leads to visceral adiposity, muscle wasting, insulin resistance, osteoporosis, diabetes, blood clots, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia and frequent infections. Subsequently, affected individuals have increased mortality rates. The most common cause of the syndrome is a pituitary tumor, otherwise called cushing disease. Although rare, other organs also have the potential of producing excessive cortisol. The article describes a unique case of CS where the source is a right…
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