Cortisol News and Research

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Cortisol is a hormone made by the adrenal cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal gland). It helps the body use glucose (a sugar), protein, and fats. Cortisol made in the laboratory is called hydrocortisone. It is used to treat many conditions, including inflammation, allergies, and some cancers. Cortisol is a type of glucocorticoid hormone.

People with epilepsy who live in high-crime neighborhoods experience more seizures

People with epilepsy living in high crime neighborhoods in Chicago had three times as many seizures as those living in neighborhoods with lower crime rates according to new research from the University of Illinois at Chicago presented at the American Epilepsy Society 2018 conference in New Orleans.

3 Dec 2018

Children under stress could benefit from interaction with therapy dogs

A new study has found that children experiencing stress who then interact with therapy dogs benefit from improved mood and reduced anxiety.

28 Nov 2018

Study suggests possible vulnerability to evening stress

Stressful events in the evening release less of the body's stress hormones than those that happen in the morning, suggesting possible vulnerability to stress in the evening.

27 Nov 2018

Stress can cause memory loss and brain shrinkage finds study

According to a new study persistent stress can cause real damage to the brain. It can cause loss of memory as well as shrinkage of the brain matter say researchers. The results of this new study have been published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology this week.

25 Oct 2018

Family acceptance of LGBT individual's sexuality linked to lower stress

Ohio University Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Peggy Zoccola has determined that those who identify as LGBT and have come out to their family carry less stress hormones than those who have not come out, which may ultimately benefit their health.

24 Oct 2018

Skin-to-skin contact may promote attachment between parents and preterm infants

For premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, skin-to-skin contact with parents influences levels of hormones related to mother-infant attachment (oxytocin) and stress (cortisol) - and may increase parents' level of engagement with their infants, reports a study in Advances in Neonatal Care, official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

19 Oct 2018

Study: Synthetic models can produce stress response similar to that of live tissue during simulation training

A study from the University of Minnesota Combat Casualty Training Consortium shows no significant differences between the use of live tissue models and synthetic training models in the learners' stress level.

5 Oct 2018

Breastfeeding changes gene activity that regulates infant's response to stress

It has long been known that there are many physical and mental health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies. But can these benefits be due to genetic changes induced by breastfeeding? New research suggests that connection.

27 Sep 2018

Columbia University announces winners of 2018 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize

Columbia University has decided to award the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize 2018.

24 Sep 2018

Brain region for stress control is enlarged in people with depression, finds study

According to the World Health Organization, 322 million people worldwide were affected by depression in 2015--4.4 percent of the world's population.

20 Sep 2018

Top three immune boosting recommendations to ward off freshers’ flu

Those heading to university this autumn, or returning student’s, might’ve heard of the dreaded freshers’ flu. But don’t let it fool you, it isn’t actually a form of flu.

20 Sep 2018

Study: Women exposed to trauma in their lives gave birth to underweight male infants

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found significantly lower birth weights in male infants--an average decrease of 38 grams, or approximately 1.3 ounces--born to women who had been exposed to trauma at some point in their lives and who secreted higher levels of cortisol, a hormone related to stress, in late pregnancy.

18 Sep 2018

Endocrine Society announces winners of prestigious 2019 Laureate Awards

The Endocrine Society today announced it has chosen 13 leading endocrinologists as winners of its prestigious 2019 Laureate Awards, the top honors in the field.

6 Sep 2018

Study reveals how gene variant affects chronic pain outcomes after trauma

The gene FKBP5 is a critical regulator of the stress response and affects how we respond to environmental stimuli. Previous studies have shown that certain variants of this gene play a role in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide risk, and aggressive behavior.

28 Aug 2018