Cardiovascular complications of cushing’s syndrome

Abstract

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a condition caused by chronic exposure to excess glucocorticoids. Mortality rates are four times higher in CS than in the normal population and myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure and venous thromboembolic complications appear to be the main causes of mortality. In addition, hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidaemia are other contributing cardiovascular risk factors. Even after the disease cure, patients with CS still possess increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease. This contributes for high mortality and morbidity and they deserve to be screened, diagnosed and treated appropriately according to general acceptable practice. Management directed both against hypercortisolism and cardiovascular risk factor control seems to minimize cardiovascular events in CS.

Keywords

• cushing’s syndrome, cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic syndrome, hypertension