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People with an excess of cortisol due to a benign tumor in the adrenal glands, known as an adrenal adenoma, can be more prone to bone loss even if the excess is mild, according to a Japanese study. Bone loss was more common in women and patients with a low…

A 37-year-old woman developed Cushing’s syndrome due to the rare simultaneous presence of tumors in the pituitary and adrenal glands, according to a recent case report. In these cases, “an accurate clinical, physical and endocrine examination is always recommended,” the researchers wrote. The case report, “Simultaneous pituitary and adrenal…

Cushing’s Awareness Day is April 8th — a day set aside each year to call attention to the rare disorder and the more than 6 million people who are diagnosed annually with Cushing’s disease. The day also is the birthday of Harvey Cushing, widely known as the father of…

Adult stem cells derived from the belly skin of healthy people behaved in a similar way to fat cells when challenged to grow in an environment mimicking Cushing’s syndrome, a study found. According to the study’s authors, these cells “could represent a reliable model to track the mechanisms” involved in…

Treatment with Isturisa (osilodrostat) rapidly normalized cortisol levels, eased symptoms, and improved the quality of life for people with Cushing’s disease, according to data from the Phase 3 LINC-4 trial. “Isturisa enables most patients with Cushing’s disease to gain rapid control of their cortisol levels, which in turn…

Healthcare providers involved in diagnosing and treating rare diseases believe that increased physician education and collaboration with specialized facilities will have the greatest positive impact on treating these conditions over the next five years, according to results from a 2021 survey. Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare commercial intelligence company, conducted…

Using a mouse model, scientists have found that the small molecule tubastatin A may be a potential treatment for Cushing’s disease. Tubastatin A was shown to reduce the activity of genes encoding the precursor of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and to lessen the growth of ACTH-producing tumor cells isolated…

Even with biochemical remission — having normal biochemical markers for liver inflammation — patients with Cushing’s disease have a two times higher risk of mortality compared with people without the disorder, a Swedish study found. Cardiovascular diseases and infections were the main causes of death, highlighting the importance of close…

Subclinical Cushing’s syndrome may be a risk factor for developing central serous chorioretinopathy, an eye disorder wherein fluid accumulates at the back of the eye, according to a recent case report. The report, “Association of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy with subclinical Cushing’s syndrome,” was published in the American…

Patient registries are a hot topic of rare disease research and many organizations are taking advantage of this resource by signing up their patient communities and connecting with researchers. Eric Sid, MD, program officer for the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), said it is difficult to estimate how…