[Urinary excretion of free cortisol in diabetics]

The 24-h urine excretion of free cortisol was studied of 61 patients with diabetes mellitus. Its average value is significantly higher than that of healthy controls. No correlation was established between those changes and sex, age, light overweight in some of the patients, duration and type of diabetes as well as of vascular-degenerative lesions. A positive correlation was established between cortisoluria and glucosuria as well as significantly lower excretion of cortisol in the compensated versus decompensated diabetics, suggesting that the changes established are of reactive character.