What condition results from too much cortisol production?

Cushing's syndrome is the condition that results from excessive cortisol production. Cortisol is a steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that helps regulate metabolism, blood pressure, immune activity, and the body's response to stress.

The excess may come from inside the body or from long-term use of prescribed glucocorticoid medicines. Endogenous Cushing's syndrome can result from an ACTH-producing pituitary tumor, an adrenal tumor that makes cortisol, or a rarer tumor elsewhere that stimulates cortisol production. Pituitary-driven disease is specifically called Cushing's disease.

Common features include weight gain concentrated around the trunk, a rounded face, thin skin, easy bruising, purple stretch marks, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Cortisol excess can also affect mood, bones, fertility, and immunity. Symptoms can develop gradually, so the disorder is sometimes mistaken for ordinary weight gain or diabetes.

The unrelated options describe thyroid disorders or adrenal insufficiency. Addison's disease, in particular, generally involves too little cortisol, making it the physiological opposite of Cushing's syndrome.