cortisol

Examples of cortisol in the following topics:

• The Endocrine System and Stress

  • The ACTH acts on the adrenal cortex, which produces steroids—in humans, primarily the steroid cortisol.
  • In the process described above, the HPA axis ultimately produces cortisol.
  • Stressors that are uncontrollable, threaten physical integrity, or involve trauma tend to have a high, flat profile of cortisol release (with lower-than-normal levels of cortisol in the morning and higher-than-normal levels in the evening) resulting in a high overall level of daily cortisol release.
  • On the other hand, controllable stressors tend to produce higher-than-normal morning cortisol.
  • Children who were stressed prenatally may show altered cortisol rhythms.

• How Stress Impacts our Health

  • Sustained or chronic stress, in particular, leads to elevated hormones such as cortisol, the "stress hormone," and reduced serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, which has been linked to depression.
  • Cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone", plays an integral role in our body's reaction to stress.
  • The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system reacts within a person's brain, and it releases the hormone cortisol from the adrenal glad when one is exposed to a stressor.
  • Cortisol is most likely to be activated when a person is placed in a situation to be socially judged or evaluated, therefore under extreme levels of stress.
  • Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream are found with those suffering from chronic stress.

• How the Body Responds to Stress

  • The HPA system reacts within a person's brain, and it releases the hormone cortisol from the adrenal gland when a person is exposed to a stressor.
  • Cortisol is most likely to be activated when a person is placed in a situation to be socially judged or evaluated, and therefore under extreme levels of stress.
  • Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream are found in those suffering from chronic stress.

• Specific Effects of Stress: PTSD

  • The trauma overwhelms the victim's ability to cope psychologically, and memories of the event trigger anxiety and physical stress responses, including the release or cortisol.

• Stress and Cardiovascular Disease

  • If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

• Exercise and Health

  • Research shows that exercise reduces cortisol levels, a hormone that is released when the body is stressed and has been shown to have negative health consequences (including heart disease and depression) when chronically elevated.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • The trauma overwhelms the victim's ability to cope psychologically, and memories of the event trigger anxiety and physical stress responses, including the release of cortisol.