Practical Strategies for Identifying and Screening for Hypercortisolism - Episode 4

Key Learnings From the CATALYST Study on Hypercortisolism Prevalence

Published on: April 16, 2025

Pamela Kushner, MD, FAAFP , John Anderson, MD, John Buse, MD, PhD , Stephen Greene, MD, FACC, FHFSA , Davida Kruger, MSN, APN-C, BC-ADM

Experts discuss the challenges of identifying and diagnosing hypercortisolism, the reasons behind its often-delayed diagnosis, the impact of a wide spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms on clinicians’ ability to diagnose the condition, and recent data on the prevalence of hypercortisolism in at-risk populations, including those with difficult-to-control diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

EP. 1: Practical Strategies for Identifying and Screening for Hypercortisolism

EP. 2: Defining Hypercortisolism and Its Impact on Physical and Mental Health

EP. 3: Advances in the Understanding of Hypercortisolism

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EP. 4: Key Learnings From the CATALYST Study on Hypercortisolism Prevalence

EP. 5: Overcoming Inertia in Hypercortisolism Identification

Video content above is prompted by the following:

What are some of the challenges of identifying and diagnosing hypercortisolism?
The diagnosis of hypercortisolism is often delayed by several years. Why do you think that the diagnosis of hypercortisolism is often delayed or missed?
Hypercortisolism presents with a wide spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms. How does this affect clinicians’ ability to diagnose this condition?
The prevalence of hypercortisolism in certain at-risk patients is higher than previously thought. Can you discuss some of the recent data on hypercortisolism prevalence?
Prevalence of hypercortisolism in patients with difficult-to-control diabetes was 24%.
Prevalence of hypercortisolism in patients with difficult-to-control diabetes and difficult-to-control hypertension was 40%.
Patients with cardiovascular disease had a higher prevalence of hypercortisolism than those without (33.3% vs 20.9%).