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.

New multiplexed test with a low-cost sensor may enable at-home COVID diagnosis

One feature of the COVID-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection.

1 Oct 2020

Wearable device tracks biomarkers in sweat associated with inflammatory bowel disease

University of Texas at Dallas researchers have designed a wearable device that monitors sweat for biomarkers that could signal flare-ups of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

28 Sep 2020

Neuronal connections that trigger insomnia tied to stress-induced changes in the immune system

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Stanford University have pinpointed the circuit in the brain that is responsible for sleepless nights in times of stress--and it turns out that circuit does more than make you toss and turn.

10 Sep 2020

Scientists shed new light on gene regulatory pathways activated by stress hormone

Scientists have long known that chronic stress experienced early in life, or even chronic prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones in the womb, can shorten lifespan and contribute to age-related chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even mental illness later in life -- long after the source of stress has been removed.

9 Sep 2020

Study: Patients with thyroid inflammation may be at greater risk of developing anxiety

Patients with autoimmune inflammation of their thyroid may be at greater risk of developing anxiety, according to a study being presented at e-ECE 2020.

7 Sep 2020

Activation of fatty acid receptor causes masculinization of Japanese rice fish

A research collaboration based at Kumamoto University (Japan) has found that activation of PPARα, a fatty acid receptor that detects fatty acids in cells and regulates physiological functions, causes masculinization of Japanese rice fish (medaka).

5 Sep 2020

Diminished biological arousal before global pandemic may predict PTSD symptoms

People who did not have a large heart rate response to a stress task surprised researchers later -- after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic -- when they showed more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder related to the crisis than others who also did the stress task and COVID-19 stress ratings.

1 Sep 2020

Adolescents with “elevated" hunger hormone are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder

Chronic stress increases a blood-based hormone called acyl-ghrelin for years after the initial traumatic stressor exposure in some adolescents, and those with elevated levels of the hormone are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to experience more severe cases of the condition, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published August 20 in JAMA Network Open.

21 Aug 2020

Identifying potential markers of neuroendocrine activity associated with grief

Researchers have examined what's currently known about the neuroendocrine effects of grief and whether biological factors can predict complicated or prolonged grief after the death of a loved one. The findings appear in the journal of Neuroendocrinology

5 Aug 2020

Good mental health is associated with longer life, shows study

We have known for decades that mental health plays an important role in one's quality of life, but a study released this week suggests it is also an important factor in one's quantity of life.

22 Jul 2020

Leftover fermented barley may reduce animals’ stress, improve pork quality

Tastier pork comes from pigs that eat the barley left over after making the Japanese liquor shochu. A team of professional brewers and academic farmers state that nutrients in the leftover fermented barley may reduce the animals' stress, resulting in better tasting sirloin and fillets.

21 Jul 2020

Investigational antidepressant PT150 shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent bioRxiv study, an ad hoc multi-institutional research team from the US shows that a novel hormone receptor modulator PT150 has unique and possibly additive antiviral and immunomodulatory effects – highlighting its potential role in the treatment and prophylaxis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

14 Jul 2020

Stress hormone is a crucial component of diabetes management, shows study

A new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine documents a clear link between the stress hormone cortisol and higher blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

13 Jul 2020

Study reveals the role of glucocorticoid metabolism and GILZ regulation during aging

Why do we age? What exactly is happening in our bodies? And can we do anything about it? Mankind has sought answers to these questions since time immemorial.

1 Jul 2020

Dog-walking intervention may reduce PTSD symptoms in military veterans

The United States is home to more than 21 million military veterans, many of whom have difficulty reintegrating into civilian life.

23 Jun 2020

Mother's prenatal psychological distress is linked to infant gut microbes

Mother's chronic prenatal psychological distress and elevated hair cortisol concentrations are associated with gut microbiota composition of the infant, according to a new publication from the FinnBrain research project of the University of Turku, Finland.

23 Jun 2020

Hormone systems can be adapted after social niche transition in adulthood

How do animals adapt their behavior during life in order to assure survival and reproduction? This is a question of great interest for behavioral biologists worldwide.

16 Jun 2020

Specific immune suppression leads to severe COVID-19 disease

A new study published online on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports that specific changes in the way the human immune system responds to COVID-19 determine whether the individual develops moderate or severe illness.

2 Jun 2020

Indo-Mediterranean style diets can cause decline in pre-heart failure, arrhythmias

The role of diets in the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction is controversial. However, it is well known that Western diet causes oxidative stress and has pro-inflammatory effects, whereas Mediterranean style diets are anti-inflammatory.

11 May 2020

Prolonged corticosteroid treatment increases adrenal gland inflammation

New research by academics at the University of Bristol has found evidence that prolonged treatment of synthetic corticosteroid drugs increases adrenal gland inflammation in response to bacterial infection, an effect that in the long-term can damage adrenal function.

27 Apr 2020