Cushing’s Disease & Clot Dynamics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Elucidation of the Potential Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Clot Dynamics in Patients with Cushing’s Disease.
IRAS ID
240508
Contact name
Robert Douglas Murray
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research and Innovation Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is the consequence of long-term exposure to excess of the steroid hormones. The most common reason for CS is steroid treatment for diseases of inflammation. Cushing’s disease (CD) is rare and occurs when a benign pituitary tumour produces an excess amount of adrenocorticotropic hormone which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to make excess of the natural steroid, cortisol. CS leads to high blood pressure, diabetes, increases in fat mass and cholesterol, and a tendency to form blood clots. Patients with CS have a death rate equating to 50% at five years if untreated, predominantly due to diseases of blood vessels (heart attacks, strokes). Following treatment to normalise levels of cortisol, death rates improve, but remain two-fold greater than the background population. Even five years after remission, these individuals continue to have increased rates of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.\nWe aim to comprehensively examine markers of risk of blood vessel disease in long-term survivors of CD including body composition (fat and muscle mass); blood fats; 24-hour blood pressure monitoring; continuous sugar monitoring over 14 days using a non-invasive probe; and blood clot formation. For the latter, we will quantify factors involved in forming and breaking down clots, and will use novel techniques to directly measure how quickly clots form and are broken down, and assess how dense these clots become. We will also study patients with a recent diagnosis of CD and examine these parameters before surgery and post-operatively. \nThis work will provide a model for patients who have received long-term treatment with steroids for other medical conditions, and for whom an increased death rate, not fully explainable by their underlying disease itself, has been shown. Future studies of these individuals will be performed if abnormalities are detected in this initial study of CD patients.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/YH/0337
Date of REC Opinion
27 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion