A patient has been receiving immunosuppressive doses of glucocorticoids for 6 months.At the end of this therapy,the dosage of the hormone must be slowly tapered down over a period of weeks.This is because of the development of:

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Prolonged administration of exogenous glucocorticoids results in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression. As a result of this suppression, the adrenal glands may atrophy and lose the ability to produce endogenous glucocorticoids. Therefore, when glucocorticoid therapy is discontinued, a gradual tapering of the dose is necessary to allow the adrenal glands to gradually recover and resume endogenous glucocorticoid production. Abruptly stopping glucocorticoid therapy can result in acute adrenal insufficiency, which can be life-threatening.

A Patient Has Been Receiving Immunosuppressive Doses of Glucocorticoids for 6