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.

Artificial protein sensor offers new way to measure cortisol with a smartphone

Cortisol is a crucial hormone that regulates many important bodily functions like blood pressure and metabolism, and imbalances of this stress hormone can lead to health problems.

29 Jul 2025

Can probiotics help you sleep better?

A new meta-analysis shows that probiotic supplements can modestly improve sleep quality and reduce depressive symptoms in people with insomnia, with no significant safety concerns. However, effects on total sleep time and sleep efficiency remain uncertain, and evidence strength varies across outcomes.

20 Jul 2025

Heart-healthy habits can improve overall physical and psychological well-being

A new study from Emory University reveals that maintaining optimal cardiovascular health can significantly improve overall physical and psychological well-being.

18 Jul 2025

Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging found to improve sleep and ease insomnia

Yoga, Tai Chi, walking and jogging may be the best forms of exercise to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia, suggest the findings of a comparative pooled data analysis published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.

15 Jul 2025

Bioprinted implants restore hormone function in adrenal insufficiency

Adrenal hormone function was restored in animal studies, potentially paving the way for a functional cure for primary adrenal insufficiency in humans, according to research being presented by Aspect Biosystems on Monday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

15 Jul 2025

Fasting triggers neuroprotective changes that could delay dementia

Intermittent fasting could be a neuroprotective strategy, improving gut-brain axis function and reducing inflammation linked to neurodegenerative diseases.

11 Jul 2025

Study shows polar winter challenges men’s muscle mass but not hormone levels

Researchers tracked testosterone, cortisol, and body composition in 23 men overwintering at Concordia Station, Antarctica. Despite extreme polar conditions, hormone levels remained stable, though nearly half the crew experienced significant muscle loss.

26 Jun 2025

Working in people-contact roles increase risk of type 2 diabetes

The emotional demands and confrontation inherent in person-contact roles, involving direct face to face or voice to voice interaction with external parties, are linked to a heightened risk of type 2 diabetes, suggests research published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

25 Jun 2025

Tufts researchers develop dental floss sensor for real time stress monitoring

Chronic stress can lead to increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, decreased immune function, depression, and anxiety.

23 May 2025

Oral microbiota transmission linked to shared depression and anxiety in couples

Oral microbiota dysbiosis and altered salivary cortisol levels have been linked to depression and anxiety.

23 May 2025

Blood filtration may offer new hope for removing microplastics from the body

Researchers report the first evidence that therapeutic apheresis, a blood-filtration technique, can remove microplastic- and nanoplastic-like particles from humans with ME/CFS. While promising, further studies are needed to quantify removal and assess clinical benefits.

21 May 2025

Long term steroid use raises risk of adrenal insufficiency

Individuals taking steroid tablets for more than 3 months are over 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency than those treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to research presented at the first Joint Congress between the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).

11 May 2025

UC engineers develop saliva test to detect depression and anxiety

University of Cincinnati engineers created a new device to help doctors diagnose depression and anxiety.

8 May 2025

Why your heart works harder at night after a few drinks, according to new research

Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich found that moderate alcohol consumption transiently raises nocturnal resting heart rate without altering objective sleep stages. However, it worsens subjective sleep quality, highlighting subtle cardiovascular stress even at low alcohol doses.

28 Apr 2025

Maternal childhood trauma linked to rapid weight gain in baby boys

Adverse situations experienced by the mother during childhood – such as neglect or physical, psychological or sexual violence – can trigger excessive weight gain in male children as early as the first two months of life.

23 Apr 2025

Transcendental meditation greatly reduces PTSD symptoms, meta-analysis shows

Just published is the third new study showing that TM is highly effective in reducing stress in a wide array of populations.

21 Apr 2025

Best time for asthma meds? Try 4 pm

Chronotherapy for asthma reveals that afternoon inhaled corticosteroids significantly improve lung function and reduce nighttime symptoms without side effects.

17 Apr 2025

Mid afternoon inhaler use may improve nighttime asthma control

A single daily preventer dose of inhaled corticosteroid (beclomethasone), taken mid afternoon, may be the best timing for effective asthma control as it suppresses the usual nocturnal worsening of symptoms more effectively than dosing regimens at other times of the day, suggest the results of a small clinical trial published in the journal Thorax.

15 Apr 2025

Peanuts pack a punch for youth: study finds cellular benefits

Daily consumption of skin-roasted peanuts for six months led to a modest but significant increase in telomere length among young, healthy adults, while peanut butter did not show this effect.

15 Apr 2025

Afternoon could be best time for asthma inhaler, study shows

A mid-afternoon puff could be the best way to get the most out of your asthma inhaler according to a new study led by University of Manchester researchers.

15 Apr 2025