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Hypercortisolism

Meaning

Hypercortisolism is a clinical state characterized by chronically elevated levels of cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex in response to stress. This endocrine disorder, commonly known as Cushing’s syndrome when due to a specific pathology, results in a constellation of systemic symptoms due to the pervasive catabolic and metabolic effects of excess cortisol. Sustained high cortisol levels disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and compromise multiple physiological systems.