Endocrine Abstracts

Approximately 1% of the population are on some form of long-term glucocorticoid therapy, either as an immunosuppressant or as replacement therapy for adrenal suppression. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that many of these patients (even those on inhaled steroids) develop adverse consequences of this therapy with the development of iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome (and its adverse metabolic profile) and associated tertiary adrenal insufficiency due to hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis suppression.

This session will discuss several challenges in relation to how best to manage these patients including:

• Who and how to screen for adrenal insufficiency?

• Balancing the need for steroids due to underlying conditions and management of adrenal insufficiency

• Strategies to aid recovery of adrenal function

• Reducing long term morbidity associated with adrenal insufficiency/ iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome in these patients