American stand-up comedian Amy Schumer, 42, revealed she has been diagnosed with Cushing syndrome.
Schumer shared the news Friday in Jessica Yellin’s “News Not Noise” newsletter.
“Cushing syndrome happens when the body has too much of the hormone cortisol for a long time. This can result from the body making too much cortisol, or from taking medicines called glucocorticoids, which affect the body the same way as cortisol,” Mayo Clinic writes.
“Too much cortisol can cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome also can cause high blood pressure or bone loss. Sometimes, it can cause type 2 diabetes,” the medical center added.
According to Yellin, the condition was brought on by getting steroid injections in high doses.
Amy Schumer diagnosed with Cushing syndrome after critics commented on her appearance https://t.co/xLx0oWzF7w
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 24, 2024
Schumer opened up about her health after numerous people commented about her physical appearance while promoting her show.
From News Not Noise:
Like many of you I was horrified by the way some people attacked her appearance after an interview about her Hulu show Life and Beth on The Tonight Show earlier this month. She later posted on Instagram saying “There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay.”
The trolling was cruel, gratuitous and misogynist. No one should have to defend themselves for living in a body that doesn’t meet someone else’s aesthetic preferences. Later in this newsletter we share thoughts from Dr. Elizabeth Comen, author of “All in Her Head,” on the long history of body-shaming women for the changes we experience as a result of medical issues. Amy also cites the book when talking about her condition.
WATCH:
Amy Schumer reveals a diagnosis of exogenous Cushing syndrome resulting from high-dose steroid injections
Exogenous Cushing syndrome involves prolonged exposure to elevated levels of the hormone cortisol
Symptoms of the condition may include a rounded face and weight gain, as… pic.twitter.com/tuQZ8RMHqn
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) February 24, 2024
Fox News reports:
Specifically, she has exogenous Cushing syndrome, which is caused when a person takes a large amount of synthetic steroids over time. Schumer has said that she also has endometriosis, which can be treated with these steroids.
Speaking to Jessica Yellin in her “News Not Noise” newsletter, Schumer said, “I feel reborn. There are a few types of Cushing. Some that can be fatal, require brain surgery or removal of adrenal glands.”
She continued, “While I was doing press on camera for my Hulu show, I was also in MRI machines four hours at a time, having my veins shut down from the amount of blood drawn and thinking I may not be around to see my son grow up. So finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out and I’m healthy was the greatest news imaginable.”
The “Trainwreck” star noted that it’s been “a crazy couple weeks” in her world, especially because she’s had to deal with critical comments in addition to her health issues.
Still, she said that she’s thankful for those comments, “Because that’s how I realized something was wrong.”
ADVERTISEMENTSchumer went on to say that she wanted to share the details of her condition so that she could “advocate for women’s health.”
Amy Schumer Revealed Her Cushing Syndrome Diagnosis After Criticism Towards Her Facial Appearance https://t.co/cJGVaghWkQ
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) February 24, 2024
Amy Schumer opens up about her recent diagnosis with Cushing syndrome, a condition caused by having too much of the hormone cortisol in the body for a long time, according to the Mayo Clinic. https://t.co/SVZ0fJ8C3R
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 24, 2024
From the New York Post:
Cushing syndrome most often affects adults, usually aged 30 to 50, and is three times as likely to affect women than men.
Treatments for Cushing vary depending on what is causing a patient to experience the syndrome, per the Mayo Clinic.
Medications are commonly prescribed, but surgery and radiation can also be recommended if Cushing is caused by a tumor. It appears Schumer’s case does not require such intervention.
Speaking with Yellin in her newsletter on Friday, Schumer added that she wanted to be an “advocate for women’s health,” as females are constantly being “shamed and criticized of our ever-changing bodies.”
ADVERTISEMENT“I want so much for women to love themselves and be relentless when fighting for their own health in a system that usually doesn’t believe them,” she declared.
Earlier this month, the “Trainwreck” star slammed the trolls who commented on her body amid promotion for “Life & Beth.”
At the time, she noted that she suffers from the autoimmune disease endometriosis.
“There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay. Historically women’s bodies have barely been studied medically compared to men,” she said.
“Thank you so much for everyone’s input about my face!” she joked.
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