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.

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

Scientists find high levels of stress hormone in chronic alcoholics

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that high levels of a stress hormone in recovering alcoholics could increase the risk of relapse.The study showed that cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal gland in response to stress, is found in high levels in chronic alcoholics, as well as those recovering from the condition.

24 Sep 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim to present linagliptin Phase III data at 46th EASD

New Phase III data found that investigational linagliptin therapy resulted in significant reductions in blood sugar as measured by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) when compared to placebo, both when added to sulfonylurea (SU) in inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, and when administered as monotherapy in T2D patients for whom metformin is inappropriate.

22 Sep 2010

Novartis' SOM230 reduces cortisol levels in Cushing's disease patients

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced today that the results of a Phase III study of SOM230 (pasireotide) showed a reduction in cortisol levels in patients with Cushing's disease, a condition in which a benign (non-cancerous) pituitary tumor causes the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol and can be fatal. Results will be presented at the 14th Congress of the European Neuroendocrine Association (ENEA).

22 Sep 2010

Calm men preferred by women: Study

According to a new study, women prefer calm men to stressed ones. Researchers at the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland found that women were more attracted to calm, collected men with lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol coursing through their systems, than men who are chronically stressed. The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B journal. The researchers also found that there was no clear association between attractiveness and high levels of testosterone as was thought before.

16 Sep 2010

Heart patients with Type D personality at higher risk of future cardiovascular problems

Heart patients with the "distressed" (Type D) personality profile may face a higher risk of future cardiovascular problems, according to a summary article published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

15 Sep 2010

Study suggests high cortisol levels may increase cardiovascular mortality risk

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol strongly predict cardiovascular death among both persons with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

9 Sep 2010