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The Basics...
Addison's disease (AD) is a rare endocrine disorder that affects
about 1 in 100,000 people. It occurs in all age groups and
afflicts men and women equally. AD is characterized by weight
loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, nausea, low blood pressure, and
sometimes darkening of the skin in both exposed and non-exposed
parts of the body.
AD occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of
the hormone cortisol and in some cases, the hormone aldosterone. For this
reason, AD is sometimes called chronic adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism.
Cortisol's most important job is to help the body respond to
stress. Among its other vital tasks, cortisol:
- helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function
- helps slow the immune system's inflammatory response
- helps balance the effects of insulin in breaking down sugar for energy
- helps regulate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
If you're craving more medical info than
that, check out the medical websites listed to the right. |
