Author Archives: Ana Pena, PhD

Isturisa (osilodrostat) is now approved in the U.S. for adults with Cushing’s disease for whom pituitary gland surgery is not an option or whose disease has returned after surgery, Recordati announced. The therapy is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medicine…

Symptoms associated with the risk of heart disease or stroke are common in people with asymptomatic tumors of the adrenal glands – called adrenal incidentalomas – particularly those that produce excess cortisol, a review of studies found. Problems such as high blood pressure, impaired blood…

While men and women with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent Cushing’s syndrome have distinct symptoms and signs, these differences do not justify divergent diagnostic or treatment approaches since both sexes have similar outcomes, a study shows. Disease recurrence and survival are comparable for both men and women with Cushing’s…

Data from an ongoing real-world study show that treatment with Signifor (pasireotide) is able to normalize cortisol levels for sustained periods in patients with Cushing’s disease for whom surgery has failed or is not an option. Half of the new Signifor users reached normal cortisol…

Measures of the degree of fat in bone marrow could be a reliable marker of bone health, helping doctors to predict the risk of fractures in people with Cushing’s syndrome, a study has found. The study, “High bone marrow fat in patients with Cushing’s syndrome and vertebral fractures”…

A pooled analysis of studies and data from a single center in Brazil suggest that people with Cushing’s disease (CD) who carry USP8 mutations, its major genetic cause, have differing outcomes, including in disease recurrence after surgery, from those who do not. But a robust and more certain analysis…

Mifepristone, a synthetic steroid commonly used to taper high blood sugar levels and diminish insulin resistance in patients with Cushing’s syndrome, may also be helpful in managing mild autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) due to adrenal tumors, a Phase 4 pilot trial shows. Although ACS is considered a…

Mifepristone, a medicine that blocks glucocorticoid hormone effects, may be useful for preventing adrenal insufficiency in people with Cushing’s syndrome, following surgery to remove adrenal glands, a study using rats suggests. The study, “Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Administration Prevents Adrenal…

Ultrasound scans can be useful to monitor muscle changes in patients with glucocorticoid-induced muscle disease or steroid myopathy, and could become an effective routine procedure for those with Cushing’s disease, a study reports. The study, “Ultrasound‑based detection of glucocorticoid‑induced impairments of muscle mass and structure in Cushing’s disease,” was published…

Competent physicians and long-term medical care are the types of support that most help patients with Cushing’s syndrome cope with their condition, a patient-reported survey in the U.S. and Germany shows. U.S. and German patients, however, had different interests regarding other supportive…