Top 5 online adrenal stories from July

Endocrine Today has compiled a list of the top five adrenal stories posted in the last month.

Healio.com/Endocrinology readers were interested in Crooke’s changes in patients with Cushing’s syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and the risk for cardiovascular morbidity, adrenal insufficiency, and more.

Crooke’s changes common in patients with Cushing’s syndrome, high cortisol production

Evidence of Crooke hyaline changes in the pituitary gland points to a higher likelihood of Cushing’s syndrome in adults, with the changes in basophil cells occurring in 75% to 80% of patients with the hormonal disorder, according to research in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

In a retrospective review of hospital patient records from adults with Cushing’s syndrome who underwent pituitary surgery, researchers also found that a higher degree of cortisol production, as well as exposure to excess glucocorticoids, are often associated with Crooke’s changes in adults. Read more.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia increases risk for CV, metabolic morbidity

Individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia are at greater risk for cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity, with the highest risk seen in women and girls and in men and boys with certain genotypes, according to research in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

In a study comparing Swedish patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) with healthy controls, researchers also found an increased frequency of diabetes in the CAH cohort, especially in females. Read more.

Early parenteral nutrition not linked to adrenal insufficiency, increases septic shock risk

Critically ill patients in intensive care who receive early IV feeding are no more likely to experience adrenal insufficiency than patients who receive only tube feeding for the first 7 days, according to research in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

In a preplanned subanalysis of the EPaNIC clinical trial measuring the effects of early vs. late parenteral nutrition in ICU patients, researchers also found that patients who receive early parenteral nutrition were more likely to experience septic shock, requiring more treatment with corticosteroids. Read more.

Obesity tied to congenital adrenal hyperplasia in teens increases CVD risk

Adolescents and young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia are more likely to have increased amounts of abdominal fat tissue, putting them at greater risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, according to research in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

In a cross-sectional study of adolescents with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and healthy, matched controls with obesity, researchers found that adolescents with CAH also are more likely to have a higher proportion of proinflammatory visceral adipose tissue than subcutaneous tissue. Read more.

Corticotropin -releasing hormone unrelated to depressive symptoms during, after pregnancy

Pregnant women had higher concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the cerebrospinal fluid compared with nonpregnant women, according to recent study findings published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

“Currently, it is not known whether the concentration of [corticotropin-releasing hormone] in [cerebrospinal fluid] is different between pregnant and nonpregnant women, and the relationship between [corticotropin-releasing hormone] levels in [cerebrospinal fluid] during pregnancy and the risk of perinatal depression remains largely unexplored,” the researchers wrote. Read more.