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.

Cortisol hormone controls bile acid recycling process

Nature sees to it that we do not have "too much choler" in our body. A delicately equilibrated regulation system ensures that there is always exactly the right amount of bile in the gallbladder. When we are hungry, our body releases a hormone called cortisol, which is a glucocorticoid. Hepatic cells receive this hormone signal through their cortisol receptors and respond by filling the gallbladder with bile in preparation of the imminent food intake.

8 Jul 2011

Study finds link between biological stress and voting

"Emotions can affect biological processes, which in turn can influence our decision-making processes," explains Dr. Israel Waismel-Manor of the University of Haifa's School of Political Science

6 Jul 2011

Children born pre-term have persistent drive to succeed

In the longest running U.S. study of premature infants who are now 23 years old, University of Rhode Island Professor of Nursing Mary C. Sullivan has found that premature infants are less healthy, have more social and school struggles and face a greater risk of heart-health problems in adulthood.

16 Jun 2011

New tool to rapidly assess risk of aggressive, violent behavior by children and adolescents

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have developed a tool to rapidly assess the risk of aggressive and violent behavior by children and adolescents hospitalized on psychiatric units. Ultimately, they hope to use the questionnaire to improve treatment and prevention of aggressive behavior in schools and in the community.

13 Jun 2011

Researchers explore relationship between emotions and poor prognosis in heart disease

Intense distress and fear of dying, which many people experience when suffering the symptoms of a heart attack, are not only fairly common emotional responses but are also linked to biological changes that occur during the event, according to new research published online today in the European Heart Journal.

2 Jun 2011

Metyrapone reduces brain's ability to re-record negative emotions associated with recalling painful memories

Recalling painful memories while under the influence of the drug metyrapone reduces the brain's ability to re-record the negative emotions associated with them, according to University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital.

26 May 2011

Study examines effects of psychotherapy on cortisol stress hormone

In a study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics the effects of psychotherapy on cortisol, the most important stress hormone, are examined.

25 May 2011

Yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue for women with breast cancer

For women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

19 May 2011

Common tiny tropical fish plays a key role in new model for Cushing disease

A common, tiny tropical fish plays a key role in a new model for Cushing disease, giving researchers a powerful tool to conduct extensive searches for effective treatments for this serious hormonal disorder, testing up to 300 drugs weekly.

11 May 2011

A large belly as dangerous as smoking a pack of cigarettes daily

Did you know that a large belly carries a risk equivalent for coronary artery disease comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes daily or having high cholesterol? People with coronary artery disease and expanded waistlines are at more than twice the risk of dying, including those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the normal range.

10 May 2011

Marathoners may face high risk of acute cardiac events

It is a commonly held belief that the fitter you are, the healthier you are. Is this so? Most experts agree that a certain level of fitness is required for health.

6 May 2011

Addison's patients with low cortisol levels more likely to get infections

Two new studies presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Rotterdam show the possible dangers facing patients with Addison's disease are higher than previously thought.

2 May 2011

New book on aging

Aging is a natural part of life. From the minute we are born we are heading in one certain direction: towards death. That said, it is possible to arrive at that ultimate destination graceful and vital to our last days rather than chronically ill suffering from one or many debilitating illnesses.

25 Apr 2011

'Iceman' influences autonomic nervous system and immune response

At the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, professor of experimental intensive care medicine dr. Peter Pickkers and his team have performed research on "Iceman" Wim Hof. Hof claims that he can influence his autonomic nervous system and immune response through concentration and meditation.

22 Apr 2011

Abuse during childhood substantially increases risk of depression in adolescence

Queen's University professor Kate Harkness has found that a history of physical, sexual or emotional abuse in childhood substantially increases the risk of depression in adolescence by altering a person's neuroendocrine response to stress.

21 Apr 2011

New research: Pomegranate juice may help reduce blood pressure

New research shows that pomegranate juice may help to reduce blood pressure. The findings will be presented today at the 2011 Society for Endocrinology conference in Birmingham, UK.

12 Apr 2011

Study sheds new light on how older people may lose their memory

Scientists have shed new light on how older people may lose their memory with a development that could aid research into treatments for age-related memory disorders.

7 Apr 2011

Larger hippocampal volume linked with recovery of PTSD

The hippocampus, a brain region implicated in memory and interpreting environmental contexts, has been the focus of a controversy in posttraumatic stress disorder.

22 Mar 2011

Research: Blood and hormone level in saliva can reveal burnout symptoms

Your blood and the level of a hormone in your spit could reveal if you're on the point of burnout, according to research undertaken by Dr. Sonia Lupien and Robert-Paul Juster of the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital and the University of Montreal.

22 Feb 2011

Treating depression: A vital step in cancer recovery

With all of the stresses of today’s modern world, depression is unfortunately becoming a common household word for many people in this country and abroad. During the cold winter months, many also struggle with seasonal depression or “winter blues,” known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Depression can be caused by any number of factors, such as chronic stress, inactivity, hormone or neurotransmitter imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, medication side effects, chronic inflammation, or lack of adequate sunshine exposure, among others.

20 Feb 2011