Description:

Why get tested?
To help diagnose adrenal and pituitary diseases such as Cushing’s syndrome, Cushing’s disease, Addison’s disease, adrenal tumors, and pituitary tumors

When to get tested?
When you have symptoms associated with excess or deficient cortisol production; when your doctor suspects that you have a hormone imbalance that could be caused by a problem in your pituitary or adrenal glands

What is being tested?
This test measures the amount of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the blood. ACTH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is located below the brain in the center of the head. It is part of the endocrine system, a network of glands that produce hormones that act on organs, tissues, and other glands and that help to regulate systems throughout the body. The pituitary creates ACTH and releases it to stimulate the production of cortisol by the adrenal glands (small organs located at the top of each kidney). Cortisol is important for regulating glucose, protein, and lipid metabolism; suppressing the immune system’s response; and maintaining blood pressure. Normally, ACTH increases when cortisol is low and falls when cortisol is high.