Screening and Stimulation Testing for Residual Secretion of Adrenal Steroid Hormones in Autoimmune Addison's Disease

In autoimmune adrenal insufficiency, or Addison's disease (AD), the immune system attacks the adrenal cortex. As a result, the adrenal cells producing hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone are destroyed, leaving the body with insufficient levels to meet its needs. The common perception is that upon diagnosis of Addison's disease, basically all adrenal hormone production has ceased. There have, however, been found a few individuals who preserve some residual secretion of cortisol even years after diagnosis. The objectives of this study is to find out how common it is, and to explore if residual function have impact on patient outcome. That is, do patients with and without residual function differ when it comes to quality of life, working ability, medication dosages, and risk of adrenal crisis?