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July 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Adrenal Insufficiency
By Dana Sizemore
President Kennedy is noted for
many accomplishments during his
presidency. He is also remembered
as one of the most vibrant, handsome and healthy of all the American
presidents. The truth about JFK,
however, is that he was actually quite
ill. He had a secret illness, known as
Addison’s disease (a type of adrenal
insufficiency), which he kept from
the public. His signature sun-kissed
tan could have been a symptom of
this disease.
Adrenal insufficiency is a term
used to describe an endocrine condition in which the adrenal glands do
not produce enough of the chemical
messengers that help our bodies function properly. These messengers are
known as hormones and they are vital
to our health and wellness. The adrenal glands are small and they rest at
the top of each kidney. They produce
the hormones cortisol, aldosterone
and dehydroepiandrosterone.
Cortisol affects almost every organ
and tissue in the body. The primary
task of cortisol is to help the body
respond to stress, such as surgery,
trauma or a serious infection. It helps
control the body’s use of proteins,
carbohydrates and fats, as well as
maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function. Finally, it controls
the body’s inflammatory, or immune,
response.
Aldosterone helps the body regulate the amount of salt and water in
the body. This is the primary way
the body regulates blood pressure. If
aldosterone is too low, the kidneys
do not know how to keep the salt
and water levels in balance. The
result is a drop in blood pressure.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
leads to the production of the male
and female sex hormones, androgen
and estrogen.
Adrenal insufficiency is categorized as either primary or secondary. Primary adrenal insufficiency,
the type that affected President
Kennedy, is more commonly known
as Addison’s disease. It is a result of
a problem with the adrenal glands
themselves. Seventy percent of
Addison’s cases are caused by an autoimmune disease, in which the body’s
immune system mistakenly attacks its
own adrenal glands. Primary adrenal
insufficiency can also be caused by an
infection – namely tuberculosis.
Secondary adrenal insufficiency
indicates a problem with the pituitary
gland. The pituitary gland is located
at the bottom of the brain and is
known as a “master gland.” It is given
this name because it sends signals
to tell other glands what to do. The
pituitary produces a hormone known
as ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). In a situation where the body
may be under significant amounts
of stress, the pituitary will produce
ACTH. The AC [