2. 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
3. What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands
Enables regulation of glucose metabolism
Regulates blood pressure and blood sugar
Reduce inflammation
Suppresses immune function
Most importantly cortisol helps the body respond to
stress (called the “stress hormone”)
4. 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
5. Additional Causes
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)
6. Who’s affected?
Can affect anyone but the disease is
extremely rare
Any ethnicity
Affects 10-15 people out of every
million
Most commonly occurs in females
ages 25-50, 5:1 Female to Male ratio
7. 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
8. 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
9.
10.
11. Treatments
Depending on the reason for cortisol excess,
treatments include:
1. Surgery (pituitary/ adrenal gland surgery on
tumors –first line approach)
2. Radiation (can take many years to be
effective)
3. Chemotherapy
4. Cortisol inhibiting drug such as mitotane
12. Special Diet
People living with Cushing’s must
maintain a certain diet
Increased protein and calcium- to prevent
loss and thinning of bones
Less Sodium to keep blood pressure
under control
Less caffeine- stimulate pituitary gland
13. 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
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. Works Cited
1. Medecinenet. (2008, May 12). Retrieved from
http://www.medicinenet.com/cushings_syndrome/article.ht
m
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.as
px
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
17. 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
