Adrenal Insufficiency

Adults with adrenal insufficiency who are adequately treated and trained display the same incidence of COVID-19-suggestive symptoms and disease severity as controls, according to a presenter.

The steroidogenesis inhibitor levoketoconazole improved and normalized morning urinary free cortisol concentrations for adults with endogenous Cushing’s disease compared with placebo, according to an industry press release.

An increased cortisol level at hospital admission for individuals with COVID-19 may serve as an independent predictor of worse disease course, mortality and reduced median survival, study data show.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents substantial challenges for pituitary disease management, and clinicians should consider local conditions and hospital resources when opting for surgery vs. medical management, according to new guidance.

Since early March, experts have undertaken a flurry of new study and guidance for treating endocrine conditions in the setting of COVID-19. Debate continues over the risks for worse disease outcomes, optimal management and best treatments.

Adults prescribed glucocorticoid therapy are at a higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19, according to an editorial published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. It was the top story in endocrinology last week.

Adults who are prescribed glucocorticoid therapy for common conditions, such as asthma, allergies and arthritis, as well as individuals with adrenal insufficiency, are at high risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19 due to an inability to mount a normal stress response, according to an editorial published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

People with adrenal insufficiency or uncontrolled Cushing’s syndrome are at greater risk for death from a respiratory-related infection, such as COVID-19, and should observe several key recommendations to avoid complications, according to a new position statement issued by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Hospitalized adults with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency are more likely to be admitted to the ICU, be readmitted at 30 days or 1 year, and have a longer overall length of stay when compared with controls, according to findings from a propensity score-matched study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology.

The steroidogenesis inhibitor levoketoconazole was effective in reducing and normalizing morning urinary free cortisol concentrations and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk among a large cohort of adults with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome, as well as improving clinical signs of the disease and quality of life measures, according to findings published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.