Bilateral adrenal tumours can lead to chronic overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol. Such excess cortisol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and reduces life expectancy. Until now, there has been a lack of reliable data on which treatment achieves the best long-term outcomes for this rare condition. In the largest international study to date, involving 629 patients from 30 centres worldwide, we were able to demonstrate that effective control of excess cortisol is crucial for preventing complications. In particular, bilateral surgical removal of the adrenal glands led to a reliable reduction in hormone production and better blood pressure control, accompanied by a low rate of adrenal crises. At the same time, treatment focused solely on symptoms was associated with a significant increase in cardiometabolic comorbidities. The results provide an important foundation for planning prospective randomised controlled trials and for future individualised treatment decisions.

I am motivated by the opportunity to answer scientific questions through international collaboration, that individual centres could not answer on their own, thereby advancing the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.

I draw my daily inspiration from the patients I care for at the clinic. Their individual medical histories and the many unanswered questions motivate me to translate clinical challenges into research projects.

I want to contribute to the development of personalised medicine in endocrinology and create a robust scientific evidence base for patients with rare diseases, similar to the one that often already exists for common diseases.