Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Liquorice in moderate doses increases blood pressure (BP) in healthy individuals (NT) as well as patients with hypertension (HT) due to increased cortisol effect. Glycyrrhetinic acid, the active substance in liquorice, inhibits 11beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 2 (11betaHSD2) which converts the active hormone cortisol to the inactive hormone cortisone. Recently it has been reported that treatment with glucocorticoids decreases serum levels of cobalamin (B12)...