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.

Can pregnancy leave a lasting mark on biological aging?

A review examines how pregnancy spacing affects maternal aging, proposing that insufficient recovery may lead to cumulative biological aging and health risks.

3 Nov 2026

More screen time, less sleep: What researchers observed in children with obesity

A cross-sectional study of 70 children in Spain found that those with obesity reported more daily recreational screen time, shorter sleep duration, and more frequent chronic sleep disturbances than their normal-weight peers. Higher screen-time scores were significantly associated with greater odds of obesity, while the association with sleep disturbances did not reach statistical significance.

2 Nov 2026

Could a few days of annual extreme heat raise dementia risk?

Extreme outdoor heat is associated with higher dementia risk, especially in socially vulnerable areas, emphasizing the need for targeted community strategies.

27 Oct 2026

Adrenaline and dopamine help explain the thrill of being scared

Monsters, bloodcurdling screams, howling ghosts, and being chased by a chainsaw-wielding stranger are elements that make a great night out for many people.

27 Oct 2026

Women in perimenopause report more anxiety than other menopausal groups

Researchers reviewed 21 studies involving 24,523 women and found that perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had higher odds of reporting anxiety symptoms than premenopausal women. Their meta-analysis of 15 studies found the highest odds during perimenopause, but the cross-sectional evidence cannot establish that menopause causes anxiety.

25 Oct 2026

Fruit and sugary drinks stood out in a three-year study of teenage mental health

A three-year study of 6,537 Australian adolescents found that higher fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of elevated depression and anxiety symptoms, while greater sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with increased risk. Vegetable consumption showed no significant association with either outcome, and the observational findings cannot establish cause and effect.

19 Oct 2026

Brain injuries change how the hypothalamus responds to stress

Researchers from the Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology at the University of Malaga have led an international scientific team that has studied how a traumatic brain injury caused by a severe blow to the head conditions the brain's long-term response to subsequent stress situations.

9 Oct 2026

A hot night changed sleep, anxiety and stress markers

The study highlights how heat exposure affects anxiety and sleep, revealing nighttime heat's broader impact on biological markers linked to stress and health.

7 Oct 2026

Eating walnuts daily may boost mood and shift serotonin-related metabolism

Daily walnuts improve mood and alter serotonin-related metabolites in young adults.

2 Oct 2026

Lab-grown human pituitary cells work and survive after transplantation into a primate

Researchers in Japan have transplanted pituitary tissue grown from human stem cells into a primate whose pituitary gland had been surgically removed, successfully restoring critical hormone signals.

1 Oct 2026

New framework maps the complex link between psychological status and cardiovascular health

CVD remains the leading cause of death worldwide, while the global burden of mental disorders continues to rise.

28 Sep 2026

Exam stress significantly raises blood sugar levels in medical students

Exam stress is associated with significant increases in blood sugar levels in medical students both during exams and the days leading up to them, according to new research being presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2).

27 Sep 2026

Human crying catches dogs’ attention across homes, shelters, and streets

A study of 112 pet, shelter, and free-ranging dogs found that all three groups looked more toward people simulating crying than humming.

24 Sep 2026

Smart contact lens measures stress levels by analyzing human tears

A research team led by Dr. Yangzhi Zhu, Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), has developed a soft, reusable smart contact lens as part of its broader Ocular Library for the Analysis of Tear Biomarkers (OCULAB), a tear bioelectronics platform for noninvasive, longitudinal biochemical monitoring through the ocular surface and tear film.

24 Sep 2026

WSU study reveals acute effects of cannabis on physiological stress-related outcomes

Cannabis is often used as a stress reliever, but a new study suggests that some of the body's stress response systems don't get the message.

23 Sep 2026

Salivary cortisol patterns predict cognitive decline in older adults

An irregular pattern and consistently higher levels of a stress hormone called cortisol found in the saliva were associated with cognitive decline later in life - Blacks specifically had lower overall cortisol levels and less change in their levels during the day than whites - according to newly published research.

18 Sep 2026

Cold plunges may boost your mood, but the evidence is still on thin ice

A Molecular Psychiatry review examined evidence linking cold exposure with mood and mental health outcomes, alongside proposed roles for catecholamines, the HPA axis, and immune-inflammatory pathways. Early studies report short-term mood improvements and physiological changes, but clinical evidence remains limited, and the proposed mechanisms have not been established as drivers of lasting psychiatric benefits.

16 Sep 2026

Five minutes of coffee aroma was linked to shifts in mood and brain activity

Short-term coffee aroma exposure was followed by reductions in several negative mood measures and an increase in an EEG-derived relaxation index in 20 healthy young adults. Heart rate and HRV did not change significantly, and the uncontrolled study cannot establish that coffee aroma caused the observed responses.

10 Sep 2026

Workplace stress may impair erectile function in young men

New research in the International Journal of Clinical Practice suggests that workplace psychological stress may impair erectile function in young men by affecting certain stress management pathways in the brain and reducing testosterone levels.

9 Sep 2026