Recruiting

Adrenal Insufficiency

Sponsor:

Montefiore Medical Center

Code:

NCT05149638

Conditions

Adrenal Insufficiency

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Cosyntropin stimulation test

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to determine the cortisol levels that most accurately diagnose a patient with adrenal insufficiency, a condition in which cortisol levels are too low for daily living.

Conditions

Adrenal Insufficiency

Study ID

NCT05149638

Start date

Feb 3, 2022

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Dec 1, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 1, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria for healthy volunteers:

\- Male and female outpatients 18 years or older without prior diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency

Inclusion Criteria for patients with known adrenal insufficiency:

\- Males and females 18 years or older with established diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency as previously documented in the electronic medical record by a failed CST (peak cortisol level < 18 μg/dL) or morning serum cortisol < 3 mcg/dL with an appropriate clinical circumstance (e.g., Sheehan's syndrome, pituitary surgery and/or irradiation, bilateral adrenalectomy, etc.) that strongly supports a true diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency, and current use of physiologic, replacement dose glucocorticoids. Inpatients with non-critical illness and outpatients are eligible

Inclusion Criteria for patients with suspected adrenal insufficiency:

\- Males and females 18 years or older with suspected diagnosis of primary or central adrenal insufficiency by any cause based on clinical evaluation by a study team member. Inpatients with non-critical illness and outpatients are eligible

Exclusion Criteria for all groups:

  • Moderate to severe liver impairment or abnormal albumin or cortisol binding globulin concentrations
  • Renal impairment with estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and/or diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome
  • Pregnancy or nursing mothers
  • Use of estrogen preparations
  • Uncontrolled major depressive disorder or psychiatric diseases, severe malnutrition, eating disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome (disorders that alter hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function)
  • Use of any medications that induce hepatic cytochrome P-450 enzymes, e.g., barbiturates, phenytoin, rifampin, aminoglutethimide and mitotane
  • Active medical treatment of Cushing's syndrome (status-post surgical treatment is acceptable)
  • Uncontrolled hypo- or hyperthyroidism
  • Use of biotin within the past 72 hours
  • Regular alcohol and/or cannabis use
  • History of bilateral adrenalectomy
  • Treatment for validated primary adrenal insufficiency for greater than 6 months
  • Be assessed by the investigators as unsuitable for participation in this study for any reason

Additional Exclusion Criteria for healthy volunteers only:

  • Regular use of any oral glucocorticoid (e.g. hydrocortisone, prednisone, dexamethasone) within 6 weeks of the screening visit
  • Use of oral or nasal steroid (glucocorticoid) inhalers in the past 2 weeks
  • Regular use of any steroid creams, gels, ointments, or lotions
  • Use of steroid (glucocorticoid) injections in the past 6 months (healthy volunteers)
  • Regular use of opioids
  • Regular use of suboxone
  • Regular use of megestrol acetate

Study Design

Enrollment

90 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Diagnostic

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Healthy volunteers

Healthy volunteers are those 18 years or older without prior diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Study participation by healthy volunteers helps us understand what cortisol levels should be in a healthy population. This information also helps us figure out what levels might be in people with adrenal insufficiency.

active comparator: Patients with known adrenal insufficiency

This group consists of patients 18 years or older with an established diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency. Study participation by patients with adrenal insufficiency helps us understand what cortisol levels should be, in the new assays, among those with adrenal insufficiency.

active comparator: Patients suspected to have adrenal insufficiency

This groups consists of patients 18 years or older who are suspected to have adrenal insufficiency. Study participation by this group will help us understand if the cortisol values we get from the new assay accurately diagnose adrenal insufficiency.

Interventions

Cosyntropin stimulation test

In this test, Cosyntropin is administered as an intramuscular injection into the arm. Cortisol levels are measured before and after injection. Cosyntropin tests are routine medical tests that are done in doctors' offices to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. Cosyntropin is a synthetic version of a hormone, called ACTH, that is secreted by our bodies to help produce cortisol.

Primary outcome measure

  • Cortisol threshold with cosyntropin stimulation test [ Time Frame: 0 minutes (pre-cosyntropin administration) and 30 and 60 minutes post-cosyntropin administration; up to 2 hours participation time ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

Montefiore Medical Center

Recruiting

The Bronx, New York, United States, 10467

Contacts

Smita Abraham, MD

smabraham@montefiore.org

Noah Bloomgarden, MD

nbloomga@montefiore.org

Principal Investigator:

Smita Abraham, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Montefiore Medical Center

Last update posted

Feb 19, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Montefiore Medical Center on 2026-02-19.