Hypertension is present in 70–85% of adults with Cushing’s disease, with chronic hypertension putting patients at increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity. Previous studies have suggested that hypertension in Cushing’s disease may result, in part, from vascular remodelling. Hypertrophic changes in the morphology of small-resistance arteries (increased media-to-lumen ratio, media thickness and wall thickness) have been described in patients with the disease, and this has potentially been associated with aggregate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake in vascular cells. However, the relationship between plasma lipids and hypertension in Cushing’s disease has not been investigated.

Qin et al. evaluated the potential relationship between lipid profile and blood pressure in a retrospective study of 84 patients referred to Huashan Hospital (Shanghai, China) for evaluation and diagnosis of Cushing’s disease. They found an independent association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and systolic blood pressure in the patients. From their results, it is speculated that LDL-c may be a pathogenic factor for hypertension in these cases.

Read the full article in Endocrine Connections 7 637–644.