Indeed, in key respects depression is comparable to Cushing's disease, a disorder cause by excessive production of cortisol. The elevated cortisol in Cushing's patients is higher than that found in major depression, but the psychiatric and somatic features of Cushing's disease are strikingly similar: melancholia, depression, abdominal obesity, bone mineral loss, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease, along with shrinkage of the hippocampus and memory impairment.
的确，抑郁症在某些关键方面与库欣氏症（一种因血浆皮质醇的过量产生而导致的疾病）相类。库欣氏症患者体内升高的血浆皮质醇含量高于主导型抑郁症患者，但是库欣氏症的精神和身体特征却惊人相似：忧郁、抑郁、腹部肥大、骨质流失、更高的心血管疾病风险、以及海马的萎缩和记忆障碍。