GLUCOCORTICOIDS AND DIABETES

Glucocorticoids (GCs), stress hormones produced by the adrenal cortex, are involved in many physiological and metabolic processes, including glucose homeostasis and inflammation. Excess GC signaling results in Cushing‘s syndrome and possibly metabolic syndrome. Diabetes, central adipose tissue, and hyperlipidemia are components of both syndromes. Here, we discuss the mechanisms of GC action, clinical syndromes of GC excess, modulation of glucose homeostasis by GCs, and future GC signaling-based therapies for diabetes.