Cushing’s syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your body makes too much of the hormonecortisol over a long

period of time. Cortisol is sometimes called the “stress hormone” because it helps your body respond to stress.
Cortisol also helps

 maintain blood pressure

 regulate blood glucose, also called blood sugar
 reduce inflammation
 turn the food you eat into energy

How common is Cushing’s syndrome?

Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome is rare. “Endogenous” means something inside your body is causing the
disorder rather than something outside your body, such as medicine. Estimates vary, ranging from about 40 to 70
people out of every million.1

Who is more likely to have Cushing’s syndrome?

Cushing’s syndrome most often affects adults, usually aged 30 to 50,1 but can also occur in children. Cushing’s
syndrome affects about three times as many women as men.2 In people who have type 2 diabetes and blood
glucose levels that stay too high over time, along with high blood pressure, Cushing’s syndrome may be the cause.
People who take medicines called glucocorticoids, which are similar to cortisol, also can develop Cushing’s
syndrome. This type of Cushing’s syndrome is called “exogenous.” More than 10 million Americans take
glucocorticoids each year,3 but it’s not known how many of them develop Cushing’s syndrome.

What are the complications of Cushing’s syndrome?

Cushing’s syndrome can cause health problems such as

 heart attack and stroke

 blood clots in the legs and lungs
 infections
 bone loss and fractures
 high blood pressure
 unhealthy cholesterol levels
 depression or other mood changes
 memory loss or trouble concentrating
 insulin resistance and prediabetes
 type 2 diabetes

Although Cushing’s syndrome can usually be cured, it can be fatal if not treated.

What are the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome?

Signs and symptoms of Cushing's syndrome vary. People who have very high levels of cortisol for a long time are
likely to have clear signs of the disorder, including

 weight gain
 thin arms and legs
 a round face
 increased fat around the base of the neck
  a fatty hump between the shoulders
 easy bruising
 wide purple stretch marks, mainly on the abdomen, breasts, hips, and under the arms
 weak muscles

Children with Cushing’s syndrome tend to have obesity and grow more slowly than other children. Women may
have excess hair on their face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs. Menstrual periods may become irregular or stop.
Men may have decreased fertility with lowered interest in sex and may have erectile dysfunction.

Not everyone with Cushing’s syndrome has these symptoms, which can make it hard to detect.

What causes Cushing’s syndrome?

The most common cause of Cushing’s syndrome is the long-term, high-dose use of the cortisol-like
glucocorticoids. These medicines are used to treat other medical conditions, such as asthma , rheumatoid
arthritis , and lupus . Glucocorticoids are often injected into a joint to treat pain. Use of glucocorticoids also
suppresses the immune system after an organ transplant to keep the body from rejecting the new organ.

Other people develop endogenous Cushing’s syndrome because their bodies make too much cortisol. Several
types of tumors can cause the body to make excess cortisol.

Pituitary tumors
Pituitary tumors, also called pituitary adenomas, are noncancerous growths on the pituitary gland. The pituitary
gland sits at the base of the brain and is about the size of a pea. The pituitary makes adrenocorticotropic hormone
(ACTH) and other hormones. ACTH tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol. These pituitary tumors make too
much ACTH, causing the adrenals to make too much cortisol.

Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors

Some tumors that develop outside the pituitary gland also can produce ACTH. This condition is called ectopic
ACTH syndrome. Most often, these tumors occur in the lungs. Ectopic tumors also can occur in
the pancreas, thyroid, and thymus—a gland that helps build a healthy immune system. Ectopic tumors may be
cancerous.

Adrenal tumors
Sometimes a tumor on the adrenal gland itself makes too much cortisol. Adrenal tumors are most often benign
but sometimes are cancerous.