Addison's Disease

Causes & Prevention

Addison's Disease: Causes & Prevention

The cause of Addison’s disease is due to a slow destruction of the adrenal cortex cells in the adrenal gland. This destruction is related to infections, i.e. tuberculosis or certain fungal infections, cancer, MCV virus related to AIDS, and/or inadequate secretion of ACTH by the pituitary gland. However, the major cause of Addison's disease is an auto-immune response by the body in which the immune system makes antibodies against the cells of the adrenal cortex and slowly destroys them.

Causes of Addison's Disease

When Addison's disease was first described in England in 1855, Tuberculosis was the most common cause. This was true until antibiotics controlled TB in the middle of the twentieth century.

Since then, the major cause of Addison's disease is an auto-immune reaction in which the body's immune system erroneously makes antibodies against the cells of the adrenal cortex and slowly destroys them. That process can proceed rapidly (months) or slowly (years).

What Does It Mean When Medical Experts Say "Race" Is A Risk Factor For Certain Diseases?

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.