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.

Body-mind meditation helps reduce stress

A team of researchers from China and the University of Oregon have developed an approach for neuroscientists to study how meditation might provide improvements in a person's attention and response to stress.

9 Oct 2007

Lower metabolism, eating behavior possibly explain the cause of overweight in narcolepsy

A lower metabolism, as well as slight changes in eating behavior, could explain the positive energy balance leading to being overweight in narcolepsy, according to a study published in the October 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Oct 2007

Early family intervention alters preschoolers' biological response to stress

Children with older delinquent siblings are at high risk for becoming juvenile delinquents themselves.

2 Oct 2007

Low birth weight children may be at a greater risk of stress-related health problems as adults

Findings from this study show that low birth weight (below the 10th percentile) can lead later in life to low concentrations of cortisol, a hormone that regulates stress response by adjusting blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

27 Sep 2007

Relationship between stress and breast cancer

Women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer who have also endured previous traumatic or stressful events see their cancer recur nearly twice as fast as other women, according to a report by a University of Rochester Medical Center scientist.

27 Sep 2007

Maternal depression and controlling behavior associated with increased stress response in infants

Teenage pregnancy is widely recognized to be a major public health concern.

18 Sep 2007

Adult offspring of parents with PTSD have lower cortisol levels

A small study suggests that adults whose parents are Holocaust survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to have lower average levels of the stress hormone cortisol than the adult offspring of parents without PTSD, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Sep 2007

Even kindies stress out before school

British researchers have found that even children at kinder garden can find school a stressful place.

3 Sep 2007

High stress and genetic risk factor lead to increased memory decline

High stress levels may contribute to memory loss among people at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

28 Aug 2007

Brain imaging reveals breakdown of normal emotional processing

Brain imaging has revealed a breakdown in normal patterns of emotional processing that impairs the ability of people with clinical depression to suppress negative emotional states.

17 Aug 2007

Link between stress and periodontal diseases

A literature review published in the August issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP) saw a strong relationship between stress and periodontal diseases; 57% of the studies included in the review showed a positive relationship between periodontal diseases and psychological factors such as stress, distress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

9 Aug 2007

Kids who prefer evenings are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior

A propensity for activities in the evening rather than in the morning may offer clues to behavioral problems in early adolescence, according to psychologists who have found that kids who prefer evenings are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior, rule-breaking, and attention problems.

11 Jul 2007

Blocking stress protein decreases Alzheimer's peptide

Scientists revealed in November 2006 that stress increases production in mice of a brain peptide critical to Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jun 2007

FDA approves Norditropin for short stature in children with Noonan syndrome

Novo Nordisk has announced that Norditropin (somatropin[rDNA origin] injection) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of short stature in children with Noonan syndrome.

3 Jun 2007

Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may effect unborn child

Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may have an effect on her unborn child, most likely mediated by the transfer of stress hormones across the placenta.

1 Jun 2007

Sleep apnea is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus and pregnancy-induced hypertension

Sleep apnea is associated with a greatly increased incidence of pregnancy-induced diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Wednesday, May 22.

24 May 2007

Early trauma can have life-long consequences

Young survivors of the holocaust have often been told from their early years that they 'survived the war well' and that 'they are lucky not to be able to remember that awful time.'

16 May 2007

Hormones in children's saliva may indicate trauma from bullying

Hormones in children's saliva may be a biological indicator of the trauma kids undergo when they are chronically bullied by peers, according to researchers who say biological markers can aid in the early recognition and intervention of long-term psychological effects on youth.

16 May 2007

Why do some people get fat even when they eat relatively little?

What creates that irresistible urge for a bag of potato chips or a hunk of chocolate cake, as opposed to a nice crisp apple? Can food urges be irresistible?

2 May 2007