Addison Disease

Question:
I have a close friend who has a sickness by the name of "mb Addisson". When she was in Australia, earlier this year she participated in a try-dive. She was cleared for diving by the local doctor recommended by the dive center. Since she came home to Sweden all she talks about is diving and the PADI OW-course.
According to PADI NORDIC´s medical regulations mb Addisson is an absolute contradiction to diving, but in PADI EUROPE´s medical statement it is not listed, why?
Can people with Addisson dive or not? If not on what published research is this decision based?
Looking forward to reply with great interest.

Answer:
Addison's Disease or Adrenal Insufficiency is a condition by which the adrenal endocrine glands do not produce sufficient quantities of adrenal hormones. Some of these hormones are involved in the stress response. A stimulation of the adrenal hormones has been constantly reported as associated with diving and particular stress conditions may require an effective endocrine secretion capacity of the adrenal glands.
Adrenal insufficiency can manifest itself in many ways, modalities and levels and the clinical presentation may vary accordingly.
In relation to diving, if the condition is subclinical ( no symptoms or very light symptoms, and/or satisfactorily corrected with medication, without any functional impairment also in stress conditions), recreational diving could be considered, with caution. If, on the contrary, the clinical situation is more serious, diving should be considered not advisable.