Hypercortisolemia News Today

Christopher Lucci, MD, reviews the current diagnostic tests for hypercortisolism, which include the Dexamethasone Suppression Test, DHEA level tests, and ACTH assessments.

The panel emphasizes the importance of early identification of patients based on subgroups, such as those with difficult-to-control diabetes, hypertension, and bone issues, highlighting that the inability to lower a patient's insulin dosage is a significant risk factor for hypercortisolism.

Medical experts underscore disparities in diabetes treatment access, stressing the impact of insurance plans on treatment decisions, which can hinder patients and providers, especially when considering newer medications like GLP-1 agonists.

Key Opinion Leaders address the psychiatric issues associated with hypercortisolism and highlight crucial clinical symptoms to look for when diagnosing the condition, such as hypertension in patients under 30 without a family history, diabetes in those under 40 with no family history, and bone issues among other signs.

The expert panel addresses the common assumption of medication non-adherence in patients with resistant diabetes, provides strategies to differentiate non-adherence from underlying comorbidities contributing to resistance, and discusses the challenges of patients who are post-metabolic surgery, yet experience weight gain and symptom recurrence.