In case you’re not familiar with it, cortisol is a hormone made by your adrenal glands which are two small glands that sit above your kidneys. Cortisol influences nearly every organ and tissue in the body, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This hormone helps your body respond to stress, reduces inflammation in the body, manages blood sugar and metabolism and controls your blood pressure, among other things.
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Cortisol levels in the body naturally rise early in the morning to help you wake up, Dr. Buettner says. Those levels also “bottom out shortly after bedtime,” says Dr. David Cutler, MD,family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
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There Are a Few Concerns With Too Much Cortisol
High levels of cortisol are linked to conditions like Cushing’s syndrome and mild autonomous cortisol secretion, which is tied to a higher risk of developing hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and frail bones, Dr. Mora says, adding, “Even modest, unregulated cortisol excess can contribute to coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and fractures."
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Cortisol testing is best for diagnosing specific adrenal or pituitary disorders like Cushing’s syndrome—which is too much cortisol—and adrenal insufficiency, or too little cortisol, he says. “Outside of these conditions, a single cortisol value does not reliably measure ‘stress levels’ or predict chronic disease risk."
While some people claim online that testing your cortisol levels can clue you in to if the hormone is behind your weight gain and fatigue, doctors say that’s not really the case.
Low cortisol “won’t diagnose chronic stress, burnout, fatigue or weight gain in most people,” Dr. Buettner says. He says claims that high cortisol is the main driver of weight gain or fatigue in women are “oversimplified.”
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When To Talk to a Healthcare Professional About Your Cortisol Levels
Ultimately, if you’re struggling with weight gain, fatigue or other symptoms and you can’t pinpoint a cause, doctors say it’s best to talk to a healthcare professional for an evaluation.
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Sources:
Dr. Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.Dr. David Cutler, M.D., family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CADr. Chelsey Baldwin, M.D., endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University Medical Faculty AssociatesLuis Medina Mora, M.D., endocrinologist at Northwell’s Lenox Hill HospitalCortisol Test, U.S. National Library of Medicine.Hence then, the article about here s what your cortisol levels can actually tell you about your health and what they can t was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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