What is Addison's disease?

Addison's disease is characterized by the inadequate production of hormones from the adrenal glands, particularly cortisol and aldosterone. It occurs when the adrenal cortex is damaged, leading to deficits in these crucial hormones that help regulate metabolism, immune response, and blood pressure. This disorder can result from several factors, including autoimmune reactions, infections, or other conditions that harm the adrenal glands.

The option describing Addison's disease as a condition with excess cortisol production is inaccurate because Addison's is explicitly associated with insufficient cortisol levels. Similarly, while metabolic processes may be affected by hormone imbalances, categorizing Addison's disease strictly as a metabolic disorder fails to capture its primary nature as an adrenal insufficiency. Lastly, an autoimmune disease targeting the thyroid refers to conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is unrelated to the function of the adrenal glands and does not describe Addison's disease. Thus, the most precise definition aligns with the significant impact it has on adrenal gland hormone production.