Symptoms of high cortisol
What are the clinical symptoms of excessive levels of cortisol?
Prolonged and inappropriately high levels of cortisol lead to Cushing’s syndrome, characterized by:
• Obesity, especially central (truncal) obesity, with wasting of the extremities, moon facies, supraclavicular fat pads, and “buffalo hump”
• Thinning of the skin, with facial plethora, easy bruising, and violaceous striae
• Muscular weakness, especially proximal muscle weakness, and atrophy
• Hypertension, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, and edema
• Gonadal dysfunction and menstrual irregularities
• Psychological disturbances (e.g., depression, emotional lability, irritability, sleep disturbances)
• Osteoporosis and fractures
• Increased rate of infections and poor wound healing
