MGA is an agonist of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the biological target of glucocorticoids like cortisol. It has been found to possess 30% of the affinity of the corticosteroid dexamethasone for this receptor. MGA shows the lowest ratio of PR affinity to GR affinity of a broad selection of marketed progestins, suggesting that it may have among the highest relative glucocorticoid effect of the progestins used in medicine. MGA produces observable glucocorticoid effects, with one study finding that, in the dose range tested, it possessed about 50% of the eosinopenic and hyperglycemic activity (markers of glucocorticoid activity) of an equal amount of medroxyprogesterone acetate and about 25% that of hydrocortisone. Accordingly, manifestations of its glucocorticoid activity, including symptoms of Cushing's syndrome, steroid diabetes, and adrenal insufficiency, have been reported with the use of MGA in the literature, albeit sporadically.