Question

Kate C. had not been feeling well for the past two months; she had noticed worsening fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness and abdominal pain. She was planning on going to the doctor when she got the flu. The pneumonia that she developed soon after, caused her to be hospitalized because her blood pressure and blood glucose levels decreased to the point of putting her life in danger.

The doctor ordered several tests and the review of the results pointed to a condition called adrenal insufficiency. The doctor told Kate that the episode that endangered her life is called an adrenal crisis.

Adrenal insufficiency describes a condition where the adrenal cortex does not produce the normal amount of hormones.

1. Part I – The hormones involved in this case

Questions:

1. Based on your reading, which hormones are most likely to be affected by the condition?

2. What is the normal stimulus for the release of these hormones?

Answer 1

The 2 steroids hormones are most likely to be affected by this condition that are cortisol and aldosterone.

The normal stimulus for the release of these hormones is ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone) production from the anterior pituitary gland that is present in the brain.

This regulates the secretion of aldosterone during plasma serum deficiencies and also in the secretion of cortisol. The ACTH stimulation test is done to determine whether primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency is there or not because ACTH stimulates the production of aldosterone along with cortisol .