Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and sometimes aldosterone. It can affect people of any age, gender or time. Symptoms include changes in blood pressure, chronic diarrhea, weakness and weight loss. Tests show increased potassium, low blood pressure and low cortisol levels. Treatment involves taking medications to replace corticosteroids and mineralocorticoids to control symptoms. Famous president John F. Kennedy suffered from Addison's disease.

1. Table 6: Isabelle Britto, Alex Picard, Feroz Shahid
ADDISON’S DISEASE

2. What is Addison’s disease?
Addison’s disease occurs when your
body produces insufficient amounts of
certain hormones by the adrenal glands.

3. With this disease, too little
cortisol and often too little
aldosterone are produced by
the adrenal glands.

4. Addison’s
disease can
occur in any
age, and in
any gender, at
any time. It
should be
caught early,
as it is life
threatening.

5. Where does Addison’s disease occur?
The adrenal glands consist of two portions:
the medulla and the cortex. Addison’s results
from damage to the cortex, which produces
three hormones: glucocorticoid,
mineralocorticoid, and the sex hormones
(androgen for male, estrogen for female).

6. Other than from
damage to the
adrenal cortex,
Addison’s can
also result from
autoimmune
disease,
infections such as
tuberculosis or
HIV,
hemorrhages,
tumors, or use of
blood thinners.

7. Symptoms include: changes in blood pressure or heart
rate, chronic diarrhea, patchy skin color, unnaturally dark
colors in some places, paleness, extreme weakness,
fatigue, loss of appetite, mouth lesions on the inside of
the cheek, nausea and vomiting, salt cravings, slow
movements, and unintentional weight loss.

8. To get diagnosed with Addison’s disease, tests
would show increased potassium, low blood
pressure, low cortisol level, low serum sodium,
and normal sex hormones.

9. Treatment
includes taking
medications to
control the
symptoms.
Replacement
corticosteroids
typically keep the
symptoms at bay.
People typically
take a
combination of
glucocorticoid &
mineralocorticoid.

10. In case of
emergency,
Addison’s patients
are encouraged to
always have a
bracelet on them
warning
emergency officials
of what they have.

11. If medications are
not taken,
patients should
immediately go to
the emergency
room, or inject
themselves with
hydrocortisone in
cases of extreme
adrenal crisis.

12. Fun Fact:
One of our
most famous
and well known
presidents,
John F.
Kennedy,
suffered from
Addison’s
disease.

13. Work Cited
Addison's disease. (2009, November 25). Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001416/
Addison's disease. (2010, June 10). Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/addisons-disease/DS00361
Addison's disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.medicinenet.com/addison_disease/article.htm
Seibel, J. A. (2009, December 13). Understanding Addison's disease. Retrieved
from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-addisons-
disease-basics
Thompson , E. G. (2011, May 11). Addison's disease. Retrieved from
http://www.fletcherallen.org/health_information/?id=hw65865
Addison's disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.web-
books.com/eLibrary/Medicine/Endocrine/Addison.htm