What Is Late Onset CAH?

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Late Onset Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), also known as Nonclassic CAH, is form of a rare genetic disease which impairs production of the adrenal stress hormone, cortisol.

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Let's break it down... 

 

Congenital 

A congenital condition is something that someone is born with. In the case of CAH, the condition is encoded within the DNA. There are different genetic alterations that can lead to CAH, but in all cases, these alterations are something that someone with CAH is born with.

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Adrenal

The adrenal glands are a pair of organs located directly above the kidneys. They are a part of the endocrine system, which means that they are part of an intricate network of organs that produce hormones. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing hormones such as cortisol and androgens.

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Hyperplasia

Hyperplasia means that an organ is enlarged. In the case of CAH, the adrenal glands may become enlarged due to an overproduction of certain hormones. 

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Late Onset

Although this is a disease that people are born with, in the Late Onset form, symptoms often don't begin to present until puberty, and in some cases don't present until much later in life or at all. Because of this, the experiences of women with Late Onset CAH are diverse. 

 

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