What is the difference between Primary and Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency?
“Failure to produce adequate levels of cortisol can occur for different reasons. The problem may be due to a disorder of the adrenal glands themselves (primary adrenal insufficiency) or to inadequate secretion of ACTH by the pituitary gland (secondary adrenal insufficiency).” http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/addison/addison.htm ACTH is an abbreviation for adrenocorticotropic hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisone. As you know, the pituitary also controls the amount of thyroid hormones by secreting Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). It is a similar concept.
