SAT-LB37 Frailty in Patients With Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion Is Higher Than Patients With Nonfunctioning Adrenal Tumors

Abstract

Background: Mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) affects up to 50% of patients with adrenal adenomas. Frailty is a syndrome characterized by diminished strength and endurance and serves as a marker of declining health and dependency. We hypothesized that patients with MACS are more frail when compared to patients with nonfunctioning adrenal tumors (NFAT). Methods: This is a retrospective study of adult patients with adrenal adenoma evaluated at a tertiary center from 2004 to 2018. MACS and NFAT were defined as cortisol after 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression (DST) between 1.8-5 mcg/dl and <1.8 mcg/dl, respectively. Frailty index (FI, range 0-1) was calculated using a 47 variables -deficit model (20 comorbidities, 14 activities of daily living, and 13 symptoms). Patients were excluded if treated with exogenous glucocorticoids, if diagnosed with overt adrenal hormone excess, another adrenal disorder, or if missing variables of interest. Results: MACS was diagnosed in 168 patients (67% women) at a median age 65 (30-91) years and NFAT in 275 patients (61% women) at a median age of 59 (21-84) years. Patients with MACS demonstrated higher prevalence of hypertension (73% vs 62%), cardiac arrhythmias (50% vs 40%), and chronic kidney disease (25% vs 17%), but lower prevalence of asthma (5% vs 14%), when compared to patients with NFAT, p<0.05 for all. Patients with MACS reported more symptoms of weakness (21% vs 11%), falls (7% vs 2%), and sleep difficulty (26% vs 15%) as compared to patients with NFAT, p<0.05 for all. Age, sex and BMI-adjusted FI was higher in patients with MACS vs patients with NFAT (0.17 vs 0.15, p=0.009). Using cut-off FI of 0.2, 42% of patients with MACS were frail, versus 30% of patients with NFAT (p=0.01). Conclusion: Higher frailty in patients with MACS supports a more aggressive management, such as adrenalectomy over conservative follow up. Future prospective studies are needed to characterize frailty in greater detail in patients with MACS, as well as to examine frailty reversal by adrenalectomy.