Kennedy s Addison s disease was probably caused
President Kennedy s Addison s disease, which came to light only after his election in 1960, was most likely caused by a rare autoimmune disease, according to a Navy doctor who reviewed Kennedy s medical records. The disease, autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2, or APS 2, also caused Kennedy s hypothyroidism, according to a report published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Hard though it is to believe these days when a celebrity s smallest sneeze is analyzed Kepatagonia better sweater teal greennnedy s family and advisors were able to keep his medical history virtually secret. Kennedy, at 43 the youngest president ever elected, was portrayed as healthy and vibrant. In reality, he suffered various problems controlled by a daily regimen of steroids and other drugs.
Addison s disease is characterized by the withering of the adrenal glands, which produce adrenaline and other hormones. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness, weight loss,patagonia outlet store xat1 difficulty standiscount patagonia hatsding up, nausea, sweating, and changes in mood and personality. Tuberculosis accounts for about 20% of cases; the rest are autoimmunepatagonia better sweater kids in origin.
During the 1960 campaign, Kennedy s opponents said he had Addison s. His physicians released a cleverly worded statemenpatagonia outlet store xat2t saying that he did not have Addison s disease caused by tuberculosis, and the matter was dropped.
Kennedy collapsed twice because of the disease: once at the end of a parade patagonia x best buyduring an election campaign and once patagonia outlet store xat3on a congressional visit to Britain.
Kennedy was diagnosed with Addison s in the 1940s. In 1patagonia outlet store el955 he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an insufficient outpatagonia outlet store xatput of thyroid hormones. Symptoms can include many of those apatagonia outlet store 8290ssociated with Addison s, as well as paleness, intolerance to cold, depression and a low heart rate.
Dr. Lee R. Mandel, a Navy Mepatagonia outlet store xat0dical Corps endocrinologist in Chesapeake, Va., was allowed to review Kennedy s medical records at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Museum last year, and he also corresponded with many of Kennedy s physicians.
Mandel concluded that the hypothyroidism and Addison s resulted from APS 2.
Mandel found that Kennedy took a host of drugs and other remedies during his presidency: 500 milligrams of vitamin C twice daily; 10 milligrams of hydrocortisone daily; 2.5 milligrams of prednisone twice daily; 10 milligrams of methyltestosterone daily; 25 micrograms of liothyronine twice daily; 0.1 milligrams fludrocortisone daily; and diphenoxylate hydrochloride and atropine sulpatagonia guide jacket extremefate, two tablets as needed.
Liothyronine is a synthetic thyroid hormone. Diphenoxylate/atropine, commonly known as Lomotil, is used to treat diarrhea. The testosterone was patagonia guide jacket 40radmpatagonia guide jacket 4 bikersinistered to combat the weight loss and gonadal atrophy associated with the steroids he was taking.
One characteristic of autoimmune diseases such as APS 2 is that close relatives often are affected as well. Kennedy s younger sister Eunice had Addison s, and John F. Kennedy Jr., his son, suffered from Graves disease, in which the thyroid is overactive.
