Clinical endocrinology
-
Clinical endocrinology · Dec 2014
Elevated hair cortisol concentrations in children with adrenal insufficiency on hydrocortisone replacement therapy.
Glucocorticoid replacement therapy in patients with adrenal insufficiency needs to be tailored to the individual patient based on body composition and clinical signs and symptoms as no objective method for assessment of treatment adequacy is available. Current treatment regimens are often not satisfactory, which is shown by the adverse metabolic profile and doubled mortality rates in treated adrenal insufficiency patients. Measurement of cortisol concentrations in hair reflect the long-term systemic cortisol exposure and may be of use in refinement of hydrocortisone treatment. ⋯ Hydrocortisone-treated AI patients have increased HCC and adverse anthropometric characteristics compared with healthy controls. HCC measurement may be of value in identifying overtreatment and thereby improve hydrocortisone replacement therapy.