Adrenal fatigue

Adrenal fatigue
hypoadrenia
Adrenal gland in relation to the kidney
Proponents suggest exhaustion of adrenal glands leads to reduced cortisol production and symptoms like fatigue
Pseudomedical diagnosis
Risks Nocebo

Adrenal fatigue or hypoadrenia is a pseudoscientific diagnosis believed in alternative medicine to be the state when adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones, primarily the glucocorticoid cortisol, due to chronic stress or infections.[1] Adrenal fatigue should not be confused with a number of actual forms of adrenal dysfunction such as adrenal insufficiency or Addison's disease.[2]

The term "adrenal fatigue", which was invented in 1998 by James Wilson, a chiropractor,[3] may be applied to a collection of mostly nonspecific symptoms.[1] There is no scientific evidence supporting the concept of adrenal fatigue and it is not recognized as a diagnosis by any scientific or medical community.[1][2] A systematic review found no evidence for the term adrenal fatigue, confirming the consensus among endocrinological societies that it is a myth.[4]

Blood or salivary testing is sometimes offered but there is no evidence that adrenal fatigue exists or can be tested for.[1][3] The concept of adrenal fatigue has given rise to an industry of dietary supplements marketed to treat this condition. These supplements are largely unregulated in the U.S., are ineffective, and in some cases may be dangerous.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shah R, Greenberger PA (2012). "Unproved and controversial methods and theories in allergy-immunology". Allergy Asthma Proc. 33 Suppl 1 (3): S100–2. doi:10.2500/aap.2012.33.3562. PMID 22794702. Quote: "There is no scientific basis for the existence of this disorder and no conclusive method for diagnosis."
  2. 1 2 "Adrenal Fatigue: Is It Real?". WebMD. Metcalf, Eric. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  3. 1 2 3 Gavura, Scott (October 28, 2010). "Fatigued by a Fake Disease". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Cadegiani, Flavio A.; Kater, Claudio E. (24 August 2016). "Adrenal fatigue does not exist: a systematic review". BMC Endocrine Disorders. 16 (1): 48. doi:10.1186/s12902-016-0128-4. ISSN 1472-6823. PMC 4997656. PMID 27557747.
  • "Discussion of adrenal fatigue". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
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