what is cortisol

WHAT IS CORTISOLWHAT IS CORTISOL

CortisolCortisolCortisoneCortisone

HydrocortisoneHydrocortisone

CORTISOLCORTISOL --function --function

Controlling moodControlling mood

Well beingWell being

Immune cellsImmune cells

InflammationInflammation

Blood vessels and blood pressureBlood vessels and blood pressure

Maintenance of connective tissues Maintenance of connective tissues such as bone muscles and skinsuch as bone muscles and skin

• Gluconeogenesis – convert amino acids into glucose

• Mobilization of amino acids from muscle tissues –

• Inhibition of glucose uptake in muscle and adipose (fat) tissue

• Stimulation of fat breakdown in adipose tissue*

(unfortunately the fat breakdown leads affects cellular sensitivity to insulin, precursor to diabetes)

CORTISOL -- glucocortitoids

• Involved in glucose metabolism

• Stimulate metabolic processes to collectively increase concentration of glucose in blood

• Without cortisol we would not be able to respond to stress effectively

• We’d just stand there

CORTISOL Increase

• Estrogen hormone therapy

• Exercise

• Pregnancy

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Mild stimulant

• caffeine

Under extreme Under extreme stress stress maintains maintains blood pressure blood pressure and limits and limits excessive excessive inflammationinflammation

• Excess steroids given for long periods result in unpleasant side effects including obesity,

loss of calcium from bones,

loss of skin tissue,

increased levels of blood sugar and increased blood pressure.

Normal and Shift workers

• Normal• Night Shift -- op

posite• Rotation – cortis

ol level same as normal

Cortisol Levels Throughout the Day

024

681012

141618

4AM 6AM 8AM 10AM Noon 2PM 4PM 6PM 8PM 10PM Mid 2AM

Normal Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm