Medical Dictionary: Adrenal insufficiency, chronic

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Adrenal insufficiency, chronic: Another name for Addison's Disease.
Adrenal insufficiency, chronic (condition): Rare autoimmune disease of the adrenal glands.

Adrenal insufficiency, chronic: Addison's disease is a rare endocrine or hormonal disorder that affects about 1 in 100,000 people. It occurs in all age groups and afflicts men and women equally. The disease is characterized by weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, and sometimes darkening of the skin in both exposed and nonexposed parts of the body.

Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the hormone cortisol and in some cases, the hormone aldosterone. For this reason, the disease is sometimes called chronic adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism. ¹

More information on medical condition: Addison's Disease:

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Addison's Disease: NIDDK

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