Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of participants according to steroid management.
| Parameters | All participants | Steroid management | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||
| N | 154 | 64 | 90 | |
| Anthropometrics and patient history | ||||
| Age (yr) | 44.4 ± 17.0 | 47.2 ± 16.1 | 43.4 ± 17.6 | .186 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 29.8 ± 6.7 | 29.6 ± 5.7 | 29.9 ± 7.3 | .799 |
| Male/Female | 44/110 | 24/40 | 20/70 | .429 |
| Smoke | 4 (2.8) | 1 (1.7) | 3 (3.7) | .488 |
| Family history of endocrinopathy | 2 (1.3) | – | 2 (2.2) | .271 |
| Specific diet | 7 (4.5) | – | 7 (7.8) | .086 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| HTN | 23 (14.9) | 12 (18.8) | 11 (12.2) | .263 |
| Hypothyroidism | 15 (9.7) | 5 (7.8) | 10 (11.1) | .496 |
| Polycystic ovarian syndrome | 4 (2.6) | – | 4 (4.4) | .149 |
| Pituitary adenoma | 15 (9.7) | 12 (18.8) | 3 (3.3) | .001 |
| T2DM | 6 (3.9) | 3 (4.7) | 3 (3.3) | .669 |
| T1DM | 28 (18.2) | 11 (17.2) | 17 (18.9) | .787 |
| Clinical presentation | ||||
| Known AI | 13 (8.4) | 10 (15.6) | 3* (3.3) | .007 |
| Suspected AI | 141 (91.6) | 54 (84.4) | 87 (96.7) | |
| Biochemical parameters | ||||
| Sodium (Na) | 137.0 ± 4.1 | 136.2 ± 5.5 | 137.3 ± 3.2 | .359 |
| Potassium (K) | 4.3 ± 0.4 | 4.3 ± 0.4 | 4.3 ± 0.5 | .661 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO3) | 23.9 ± 2.8 | 23.3 ± 3.4 | 24.3 ± 2.5 | .219 |
| Basal cortisol (nmol/L) | 217.8 ± 16.1 | 137.8 ± 114.9 | 267.3 ± 136.9 | <.001 |
| 30-min cortisol (nmol/L) | 372.7 ± 21.3 | 257.8 ± 174.1 | 484.4 ± 126.0 | <.001 |
| 60-min cortisol (nmol/L) | 437.2 ± 23.5 | 304.4 ± 195.8 | 564.1 ± 127.9 | <.001 |
| ACTH classification | ||||
| <4.7 pg/mL (below normal) | 14 (9.3) | 10** (15.9) | 4 (4.5) | .02 |
| Between 4.7 and 48.8 pg/mL (normal) | 133 (88.1) | 50† (79.4) | 83 (94.3) | |
| >48.8 pg/mL (above normal) | 4 (2.6) | 3‡ (4.8) | 1 (1.1) | |
| Sellar surgery | ||||
| Yes | 21 (22.6) | 17 (39.5) | 4 (8.0) | <.001 |
| No | 72 (77.4) | 26 (60.5) | 46 (92.0) | |
| Sellar irradiation | ||||
| Yes | 7 (7.4) | 4 (8.9) | 3 (6.0) | .590 |
| No | 88 (92.6) | 41 (91.1) | 47 (94.0) | |
Data presented as mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables and N (%) for categorical variables.
ACTH = adrenocorticotropic hormone, AI = adrenal insufficiency, BMI = body mass index, HTN =, T1DM = type 1 diabetes mellitus.
*
Received steroid during stress only.
**
Central AI.
†
Eight patients with primary AI and 41 with central AI.
‡
Primary AI.