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.

Study shows metabolic, cardiovascular consequences of untreated sleep apnea

Sleep apnea, left untreated for even a few days, can increase blood sugar and fat levels, stress hormones and blood pressure, according to a new study of sleeping subjects.

31 Aug 2017

Study finds that yoga and meditation practices enhance resilience, wellbeing

Many people report positive health effects from practicing yoga and meditation, and experience both mental and physical benefits from these practices.

22 Aug 2017

Cortisol mediates communication between gut bacteria and brain metabolites, study suggests

Gut microbes have been in the news a lot lately. Recent studies show they can influence human health, behavior, and certain neurological disorders, such as autism.

21 Aug 2017

Band-Aid sized device produces sweat even when patient is relaxed and cool

One downside to medical sensors that test human sweat: you have to sweat. Sweating from exertion or a stifling room temperature can be impractical for some patients and unsafe for others.

4 Aug 2017

New study shows how violent crime may affect academic performance of children

Numerous studies have shown a relationship between high-crime communities and the academic performance of children who live within them.

25 Jul 2017

Scientists create wearable diagnostic biosensor that can detect three diabetes-related compounds

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas are getting more out of the sweat they've put into their work on a wearable diagnostic tool that measures three diabetes-related compounds in microscopic amounts of perspiration.

23 Jun 2017

Researchers discover same kind of T-cell exhaustion in IBS-D patients

Australian researchers have for the first time discovered that a specific type of irritable bowel syndrome is associated with exhaustion of the immune system in patients.

21 Jun 2017

Australian scientists discover link between exhausted immune system and IBS

AUSTRALIAN scientists have discovered that exhausted immune cells point to a specific type of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

20 Jun 2017

Study shows correlation between urinary stress hormones and coronary heart disease

Stress, especially in women, is increasingly being recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, a condition in which blood vessels to the heart are blocked by plaque buildup or inflammation.

14 Jun 2017

Single bout of exercise can have significant positive behavioral and cognitive effects

In a new review of the effects of acute exercise published in Brain Plasticity, researchers not only summarize the behavioral and cognitive effects of a single bout of exercise, but also summarize data from a large number of neurophysiological and neurochemical studies in both humans and animals showing the wide range of brain changes that result from a single session of physical exercise.

12 Jun 2017

Low THC levels reduce stress, while higher doses produce opposite effect

Cannabis smokers often report that they use the drug to relax or relieve stress, but few studies provide clinical evidence of these effects.

2 Jun 2017

Meal-times help to regulate our body clock, study finds

The human body works according to a roughly 24-hr cycle. It is controlled by a master clock in the brain and by peripheral clocks in other parts of the body, which are synchronized according to external cues such as light.

2 Jun 2017

Long-term stress for the mother can influence growth of unborn child through amniotic fluid

The feeling of constantly being on edge, always having to take care of everything, not being able to find a balance: If an expectant mother is strongly stressed over a longer period of time, the risk of the unborn child developing a mental or physical illness later in life - such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or cardiovascular disease - increases.

30 May 2017

Physical stress to mother during pregnancy can influence growth of unborn child

If the mother is stressed over a longer period of time during pregnancy, the concentration of stress hormones in amniotic fluid rises, as proven by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Zurich. Short-term stress situations, however, do not seem to have an unfavorable effect on the development of the fetus.

29 May 2017

Penn psychologist shows how empathy can elicit both negative and positive health effects

When a close friend shares bad news, our instinct is to help. But putting ourselves in a friend's shoes, imagining how we would feel if we were the one suffering, may have detrimental effects on our own health, according to a new study led by the University of Pennsylvania's Anneke E. K. Buffone.

24 May 2017

Retirement period may widen socio-economic inequalities in stress and health, study suggests

A new paper published in the Journal of Gerontology suggests that the period around retirement may widen socio-economic inequalities in stress and health.

5 May 2017

Supplementation with macular carotenoids improves psychological stress levels, study shows

Lutein and zeaxanthin isomers--known as the macular carotenoids--are traditionally associated with eye health, but researchers at the University of Georgia found an interesting connection to their function in brain health, showing that they improved psychological stress levels and reduced serum cortisol.

27 Apr 2017

Negative emotions can inspire cancer patients, study shows

Feeling down is a common side effect of being diagnosed with cancer. Anxiety, guilt, and distress often come hand-in-hand with diagnosis and treatment.

25 Apr 2017

Differing hormone profiles shape human social hierarchies, say psychology researchers

In a game of chicken, the most aggressive players are fueled by testosterone and are more willing to harm others; and while it may be easy to demonize such hawkish behaviors, psychology researchers from The University of Texas at Austin say there is sound evolutionary reason for their existence.