Cortisol test results shifted in adults with benign adrenal tumors
Among 2,525 adults followed for a median of 80 months, 22.3% had cortisol test changes that altered their diagnosis, most within three years.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cohort study of 2,525 adults with benign adrenal incidentalomas, 80 months (Multicenter)
- What changed:
- Cortisol test changes altered diagnosis in 22.3% of adults, most within three years
- The catch:
- Excluded people with several hormone disorders, recent active cancer, or certain medication use
- Stake:
- Authors work for Eli Lilly and Company.
- In the record:
- The 4th paper on mild autonomous cortisol secretion with results in people; 12 on record in all.
- Why it’s aging research:
- It bears on staying healthy in midlife and later life.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In a retrospective observational study, researchers reviewed records from 2,525 adults aged 18 or older with benign adrenal tumors found incidentally. Participants had at least two overnight cortisol tests using 1 mg of dexamethasone, a drug that suppresses cortisol, a stress hormone. All had at least 36 months of follow-up.
Persistently abnormal results were associated with a higher rate of worsening high blood pressure than persistently normal results. Over 10 years, estimated time without worsening high blood pressure was 60.4 months versus 86.1 months. After accounting for age and existing cardiovascular risk factors, cortisol test patterns were not significantly associated with deaths, cardiovascular events or blood clots. The authors called for prospective studies to determine whether repeated testing helps assess risk.
Why it matters
High blood pressure matters for cardiovascular health as people age. The authors emphasized closer attention to risk factors that can be changed in people with persistently abnormal cortisol tests.
Caveats
This retrospective observational study cannot establish cause and effect. Its findings concern adults with benign adrenal tumors; it excluded people with several hormone disorders, recent active cancer or certain medication use.
The paper
Prince of Songkla University; University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Jul 7, 2026, Open access
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