Benign enlargements of the adrenal glands (adrenal adenomas) are frequent in adults. In the general population these adenomas are rare in subjects below 40 years of age but at the age of 60 and 80 years the prevalence is 6 and 8-10 % respectively. Since these adenomas do not causes obvious symptoms they are almost exclusively found incidentally in patients examined radiologically for other reasons than suspected adrenal disease. These enlargements are thus termed adrenal incidentalomas (AI). AI may secrete cortisol and more than 25 percent of patients with an AI have increased cortisol levels called autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS). Such increased secretion of cortisol may cause metabolic complications such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that ACS may cause increased mortality. These studies are however small and have not adequately taking other conditions into account which most likely influences the result. The investigators hypothesis is that ACS is linked to increased mortality as the previous studies have shown. The aim is to perform a larger study on patients with adrenal incidentalomas, both with and without ACS, and compare the mortality rates with a control group matched for age and sex. This study may more precisely describe the cardiovascular risk for ACS and define the risk at different levels of ACS.
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Number of patients deceased, both totally and divided into three specified diagnose groups (cardiovascular disease, infections and cancer).
Timeframe: From date of enrollment until December 31, 2018.