Which hormone is elevated in patients with Addison's disease?

In patients with Addison's disease, the primary issue is adrenal insufficiency, specifically a deficiency in the production of cortisol and often aldosterone from the adrenal glands. As a compensatory mechanism, the pituitary gland secretes increased levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The elevation of ACTH occurs due to the feedback loop related to low cortisol levels; when cortisol is insufficient, ACTH is produced in higher amounts in an attempt to stimulate the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol.

This phenomenon is a hallmark of Addison's disease and is a critical point in understanding how the body attempts to compensate for the lack of adrenal hormones. While other hormones, such as insulin, testosterone, and thyroxine, play vital roles in the endocrine system, they are not directly related to the pathophysiology of Addison's disease and do not exhibit the same compensatory rise as ACTH. Therefore, recognizing the elevated ACTH level is essential in diagnosing and understanding the condition of Addison's disease.