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.

Doctor speaks on health effects of chronic inflammation

If your body is in a chronic state of inflammation, it can have serious effects on your cellular health, and has been linked to degenerative diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and many others. Luckily, there are numerous ways to control chronic inflammation naturally and promote overall health in the process.

17 Feb 2011

Study confirms anti-inflammatory properties of Oligonol in humans

A recently published study in Nutrition Research and Practice has verified the anti-inflammatory effects in humans of Oligonol® lychee fruit polyphenol. The study examined Oligonol intake on cortisol and related cytokines in healthy young men. Both cortisol and cytokine concentrations are inflammatory markers known to increase when stress such as exercise is caused on the body.

15 Feb 2011

Maternal care makes baby's brain less vulnerable to stress

The quality and quantity of maternal milk and maternal-infant contact impact the stress response of the adult offspring, according to recent research published in Developmental Psychobiology.

4 Feb 2011

New research: Homophobic social environments may disrupt hormonal responses in LGB adults

Young adults who are lesbian, gay or bisexual are at far higher risk for severe mental health problems than their heterosexual peers. New research from Concordia University suggests that the stress of being rejected or victimized because of sexual orientation may disrupt hormonal responses in lesbians, gays and bisexuals.

3 Feb 2011

Fortis Hospital specialists in Mumbai successfully perform gastric bypass surgery in American patient

Specialists at Fortis Hospitals Mumbai successfully diagnosed and treated a previously undetected pituitary tumor in Michelle Hardin, a 35 year-old American medical traveler.

1 Feb 2011

Research identifies childhood traumatic stress as potential risk factor for obesity in adulthood

Scientific studies often attribute obesity to poor nutrition and lack of activity, but recent research has identified childhood traumatic stress as a potential risk factor for obesity in adulthood.

19 Jan 2011

Bright light therapy for the aged depressed: Study

A new study shows that exposure to bright light may ease symptoms of depression in elderly people. The researchers tried three weeks of bright light therapy using specially designed light boxes and saw that it improved symptoms of depression by as much as 54% in older adults with depression. The light therapy also improved sleep and optimized levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression and often targeted by antidepressant drugs. This is the first study of its kind to show a beneficial effect of bright light therapy on treating depression in the elderly with non-seasonal major depressive disorder.

5 Jan 2011

Primal fitness offer tips that help you get in shape for 2011

For your New Year's fitness resolution, why not turn to something new, but at the same time, very old? A new trend, called Primal fitness, involves practicing activities that our early hunter-gatherer ancestors would have experienced in the wild - movements such as walking, running, balancing, climbing, lifting, carrying, throwing and catching.

29 Dec 2010

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants alters cortisol level in blood

Karin E Zimmer's PhD research shows that persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as PCB and mixtures of different POPs, affect the way the adrenal cortex functions and thereby the synthesis of the stress hormone cortisol.

28 Dec 2010

Exciting progress made in MS research during 2010

Exciting advances were made in 2010 in virtually every field of MS research. Progress toward finding new therapies for MS is illustrated by the availability of the first oral disease-modifying therapy for MS. Progress was also made toward finding ways to restore function and improving quality of life and specific MS symptoms through exercise, meditation, rehabilitation and medications, including the first therapy specifically approved to treat a symptom of MS (Ampyra).

20 Dec 2010

Depression in mothers during pregnancy associated with higher levels of stress hormones in children

The cocktail of hormones cascading through depressed mothers' bodies may play an important role in the development of their unborn children's brains.

13 Dec 2010

Depressed and suicidal individuals linked to low levels of stress hormone cortisol

Depressed and suicidal individuals have low levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood and saliva. They also have substances in their spinal fluid that suggest there is increased inflammation in the brain. These findings could help to develop new methods for diagnosing and treating suicidal patients.

29 Nov 2010

Study suggests less than 10% of UK adults with CAH receive specialist endocrine care

A new study suggests that less than 10% of the estimated 3,591 adults in the UK with the genetic condition congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) receive specialist endocrine care, and that there is no standard treatment for these patients.

26 Nov 2010

Chronic jet lag alters brain's intricate role in memory processing

Chronic jet lag alters the brain in ways that cause memory and learning problems long after one's return to a regular 24-hour schedule, according to research by University of California, Berkeley, psychologists.

25 Nov 2010

Study finds association between personality, cognitive ability and neuroendocrinal dysfunction in exhaustion syndrome

Exhaustion syndrome, also called burnout and exhaustion depression, leaves objectively measurable changes in the brain including reduced activity in the frontal lobes and altered regulation of the stress hormone cortisol. This is shown in a new dissertation from Umeå University in Sweden.

18 Nov 2010

Dim light at night linked to depression

Exposure to even dim light at night is enough to cause physical changes in the brains of hamsters that may be associated with depression, a new study shows.

18 Nov 2010

Teenage binge drinking could cause mental health problems in adulthood: Study

Binge-drinking teenagers may be putting themselves at higher risk in adulthood for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, Loyola University Health System researchers report.

16 Nov 2010

Trained service dogs can help children with Autism Syndrome Disorders

Dogs may not only be man's best friend, they may also have a special role in the lives of children with special needs. According to a new Universit- de Montreal study, specifically trained service dogs can help reduce the anxiety and enhance the socialization skills of children with Autism Syndrome Disorders (ASDs).

20 Oct 2010

LSUHSC-S receives $3.9M NIDA grant to develop EMB-001 drug for cocaine dependence

Embera NeuroTherapeutics, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for addiction and obesity, announced today that the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC-S) has received a $3.9 million dollar grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The grant will support the next stages of development for Embera's drug candidate EMB-001 to treat cocaine dependence, as well as advance EMB-001 into clinical testing.

1 Oct 2010

Stressed men tend to withdraw socially while women seek emotional support: Study

A new study by USC researchers reveals that stressed men looking at angry faces had diminished activity in the brain regions responsible for understanding others' feelings.

29 Sep 2010