adrenal fatigue
{{Short description|Alternative diagnosis of adrenal gland exhaustion}}
{{About|a term used in alternative medicine|medically-recognized chronic adrenal insufficiency |Adrenal insufficiency|and|Addison's disease}}
{{Alternative medicine sidebar |diagnoses}}
Adrenal fatigue is a pseudoscientific term used by alternative medicine providers to suggest that the adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones, primarily cortisol, due to chronic stress or infections.{{Cite journal |last1=Shah |first1=Rachna |last2=Greenberger |first2=Paul A. |date=2012-05-01 |title=Chapter 29: Unproved and controversial methods and theories in allergy-immunology |url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/10.2500/aap.2012.33.3562 |journal=Allergy and Asthma Proceedings |language=en |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=100–102 |doi=10.2500/aap.2012.33.3562 |issn=1088-5412 |pmid=22794702 |quote=There is no scientific basis for the existence of this disorder and no conclusive method for diagnosis|url-access=subscription }} There is no scientific basis for the existence of adrenal fatigue, and the term should not be confused with a number of actual forms of adrenal dysfunction such as adrenal insufficiency or Addison's disease.
Definition
History
The term "adrenal fatigue" was invented in 1998 by chiropractor James Wilson and applied to a collection of mostly non-specific symptoms.{{cite web |url = http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/fatigued-by-a-fake-disease/ |title = Fatigued by a Fake Disease |work = Science-Based Medicine |date = October 28, 2010 |access-date = March 12, 2015 |author = Gavura, Scott }}
Lack of evidence
A systematic review found no evidence for the condition, supporting the consensus among mainstream endocrinologists that it is a myth.{{cite journal |last1 = Cadegiani |first1 = Flavio A. |last2 = Kater |first2 = Claudio E. |title = Adrenal fatigue does not exist: a systematic review |journal = BMC Endocrine Disorders |date = 24 August 2016 |volume = 16 |issue = 1 |pages = 48 |doi = 10.1186/s12902-016-0128-4 |issn = 1472-6823 |pmid = 27557747 |pmc = 4997656 |doi-access = free }} There is no evidence supporting the concept of adrenal fatigue, and it is not a valid diagnosis recognized by the scientific or medical communities.
Tests
Diagnosis
Dietary supplements
The concept of adrenal fatigue has given rise to an industry of dietary supplements marketed to treat the supposed condition. These supplements are largely unregulated in the U.S.; they are ineffective and costly; and they in some cases may be dangerous.{{Cite journal |last1=Ross |first1=Ian L. |last2=Jones |first2=Jay |last3=Blockman |first3=Marc |date=2018-08-28 |title=We are tired of 'adrenal fatigue' |url=http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/12402 |journal=South African Medical Journal |volume=108 |issue=9 |pages=724–725 |doi=10.7196/SAMJ.2018.v108i9.13292 |doi-broken-date=2024-11-10 |issn=2078-5135 |pmid=30182895|s2cid=52155559 |doi-access=free }}
See also
References
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External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://www.hormone.org/diseases-and-conditions/adrenal-fatigue Adrenal Fatigue] from the Endocrine Society
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