Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is an inherited condition resulting in underproduction of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone, and overproduction of androgen.
CAH is a serious condition because:
- Cortisol mobilizes nutrients, modifies the body's response to inflammation, stimulates the liver to raise the blood sugar, and also helps to control the amount of water in the body.
- Aldosterone regulates salt and water levels which affects blood volume and blood pressure.
- Androgen is a male sex hormone. Overproduction causes early (or inappropriate) appearance of male characteristics.
According to one expert estimate, classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia is rare, affecting only one in 14,000 people, but mild forms of the disease may occur in one of every 100 to 1,000 persons.
Medline Plus (National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health)
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