Addison's disease is a disorder that results in your body producing insufficient amounts of certain important hormones.

In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol, which is one of the hormones in a group called the glucocorticoids. Sometimes, Addison's disease also involves insufficient production of aldosterone, one of the hormones called the mineralocorticoids. Addison's disease can be life-threatening.

The disorder, also called adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism, can occur at any age, including infancy, and is equally likely among males and females. It's rare, affecting only about one in 100,000 people. Treatment involves taking hormones to replace the insufficient amount being made by the adrenal glands.