Publication at First Faculty of Medicine |
2018
Abstract
Cushing's syndrome is associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates, due mostly to cardiovascular complications. Cushing's syndrome is caused by the prolonged, excessive and autonomous secretion of cortisol.
Hypercortisolism leads to the development of metabolic disorders (visceral obesity, from impairment of glucose tolerance to diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia), arterial hypertension and thrombophilia; i.e. comorbidities leading to increased cardiovascular risk. Given the severity of the disease, it is important not to just treat the hypercortisolism, but also all the associated comorbidities, as the increased cardiovascular risk persists for a long time after the successful treatment of Cushing's syndrome.