Cortisol variability in adrenal tumor patients

A major international study published in The Lancet, led by the University of Birmingham and the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours, found that cortisol levels in patients with benign adrenal tumors change over time in 22% of cases, challenging the assumption that a single test is sufficient. Patients with persistently elevated cortisol (mild autonomous cortisol secretion) had a 34% higher rate of worsening high blood pressure and lost an average of 2 years of well-controlled hypertension-free time over 10 years. The study followed 2,525 patients across 14 countries for nearly 7 years. Professor Alessandro Zan of the University of Birmingham and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre commented on the findings, calling for closer monitoring and potential surgical treatment for high-risk patients.