The following differential diagnoses are equally possible causes of adrenopause:
Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (E00-E90).
- Obesity
- Gonadopause (drop in testosterone)
- Insulin resistance – decreased effectiveness of the body’s own insulin at the target organs skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and liver.
- Somatopause (decrease in growth hormone and IGF-1).
- Addison’s disease (Primary adrenocortical insufficiency) due to various conditions such as:
- Autoimmune adrenalitis (autoimmune adrenocortical inflammation) – most common cause; circulating antibodies to the adrenal cortex (NNR) can be detected in approximately 70% of patients with isolated Addison’s disease and nearly 100% of patients with polyglandular autoimmune syndrome.
- Tuberculosis
- Tumor
- Bleeding into the adrenal cortex (NNR)
- After adrenalectomy (adrenalectomy).
- Secondary adrenal insufficiency – due to failure of ACTH production in anterior pituitary insufficiency (HVL insufficiency; failure of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland).
Factors influencing health status and leading to health care utilization (Z00-Z99)
- Burnout syndrome
Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).
- AIDS
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99).
- Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus.
Medications
- After cessation of prolonged glucocorticoid administration, the so-called Slocumb syndrome (cortisone withdrawal syndrome) may develop, which may be associated with secondary adrenocortical insufficiency
