Amy Schumer is diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome - what are the symptoms and can it be treated?

Actor and comedian Amy Schumer has been diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome. In a week where the 42-year-old has hit back at online trolls over her appearance, it has now been revealed that she was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome.

This is a rare condition caused by having too much of a hormone called cortisol in your body, with one of the main symptoms being weight gain. Life and Beth star Schumer also has endometriosis - another reason for her appearance changing recently - and had been taking doxycycline after getting Lyme disease in 2020.

Speaking to News Not Noise, the actor said: "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's that will just work itself out and I'm healthy was the greatest news imaginable.

"It has been a crazy couple weeks for me and my family - aside from fears about my health, I also had to be on camera having the internet chime in. But thank God for that, because that's how I realised something was wrong.

"The shaming and criticism of our ever-changing bodies is something I have dealt with and witnessed for a long time. 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."

According to the NHS, Cushing's syndrome can usually be treated. If it is caused by steroids, a patient's steriod dose will be gradually reduced or even stopped altogether.

If a tumour caused Cushing's syndrome to develop, then surgery and radiotherapy can cure it. Medicine can also be prescribed to reduce the effect of cortisol on a person's body.