Addison’s disease
Overview
Addison’s disease affects the function of the adrenal glands, which disrupts the production of several hormones including cortisol and aldosterone, which regulate stress response (fight or flight) and blood pressure.
Common Symptoms
Darkening of the skin (hyperpigmentation), extreme fatigue, salt cravings, weight loss, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), gastrointestinal symptoms, fainting from low blood pressure, and abdominal pain.
Coexisting Diseases and Conditions
Autoimmune polyglandular syndromes, autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s and atrophic hypothyroidism), vitiligo, premature ovarian failure, type 1 diabetes, and pernicious anemia.
Risk Factors and Prevalence
Addison’s disease affects males and females equally and is most common in ages 30-50. Research is ongoing to determine whether genetic factors can be a cause. In certain cases, non-immune causes such as tuberculosis can affect the adrenal glands and result in the emergence of Addison’s disease.
Recent Research
- The genetics of autoimmune Addison disease: past, present and future (2022)
- New Approach to Addison Disease: Oral Manifestations Due to Endocrine Dysfunction and Comorbidity Burden (2022)
- Newly diagnosed autoimmune Addison’s disease in a patient with COVID-19 with autoimmune disseminated encephalomyelitis (2022)
- Brain structure in autoimmune Addison’s disease (2023)
- Aggregation of autoimmunity in extended families of people with autoimmune Addison disease (2022)
Sources
- Sources
Addison’s Disease. NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). Retrieved from https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/addisons-disease/
Adrenal Insufficiency & Addison’s Disease | NIDDK. (n.d.). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/adrenal-insufficiency-addisons-disease
Buonocore, F., & Achermann, J. C. (2020). Primary adrenal insufficiency: New genetic causes and their long‐term consequences. Clinical Endocrinology, 92(1), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.14109
van Haren Noman, S., Visser, H., Muller, A. F., & Limonard, G. J. (2018). Addison’s Disease Caused by Tuberculosis: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Difficulties. European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine, 5(8), 000911. https://doi.org/10.12890/2018_000911
Betterle, C., Presotto, F., & Furmaniak, J. (2019). Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of Addison’s disease in adults. Journal of endocrinological investigation, 42(12), 1407–1433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-019-01079-6
Hellesen, A., Bratland, E., & Husebye, E. S. (2018). Autoimmune Addison’s disease – An update on pathogenesis. Annales d’endocrinologie, 79(3), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ando.2018.03.008