The Cardiovascular Risk in Cushing’s Syndrome

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a clinical condition resulting from chronic exposure to glucocorticoid excess. Hypercortisolism contributes significantly to the early development of systemic disorders by direct and/or indirect effects. Complications such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypercoagulability cause premature atherosclerosis and increase cardiovascular mortality. These associated abnormalities increase cardiovascular risk not only during the active phase of the disease but also long after the remission of hypercortisolism. Clinical management of these patients should be particularly careful and control of cardiovascular risk factors is necessary for a long period.