This cortisol test measures the level of cortisol in your blood to see if your levels are normal.
Cortisol is made by your adrenal glands, two small glands that sit above the kidneys. A gland in your brain, called the pituitary gland, makes a hormone that tells your adrenal glands how much cortisol to make. If your cortisol levels are too high or too low, it may mean you have a disorder of your adrenal glands, a problem with your pituitary gland, or a tumor that makes cortisol.
Cortisol is a hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body.
It helps your body:
- Respond to stress (cortisol is sometimes called the "stress hormone")
- Reduce inflammation
- Regulate blood sugar and metabolism (how your body uses food for energy)
- Control blood pressure
Without treatment, cortisol levels that are too high or too low can be very serious.
Low levels of cortisol may mean you have Addison disease or secondary adrenal insufficiency:
You may have these symptoms:
- Weight loss
- Muscle and joint pain
- Fatigue, or extreme long-lasting tiredness
- Low blood pressure
- Belly pain
- Irritability and depression
- Nausea, vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dark patches of skin
- For women, decreased armpit and pubic hair and decreased sexual desire
The most common cause of low cortisol levels is suddenly stopping steroid medicines after using them for a long time.
If your cortisol results aren't normal, it doesn't always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment. Cortisol levels can be affected by:
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Exercise
- Serious illness
- Hot and cold temperatures
- Certain thyroid diseases
- Obesity
- Certain medicines, such as birth control pills
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High levels of cortisol may be a sign that you have Cushing's syndrome.
It may be caused by:
- Taking high doses of certain steroid medicines for a long time to treat conditions, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus
- Tumors in your pituitary gland or other parts of your body that make too much of the hormone that tells your adrenal glands to make cortisol
- Tumors in your adrenal glands that make extra cortisol
If your cortisol results aren't normal, it doesn't always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment. Cortisol levels can be affected by:
- Stress
- Pregnancy
- Exercise
- Serious illness
- Hot and cold temperatures
- Certain thyroid diseases
- Obesity
- Certain medicines, such as birth control pills
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Cortisol levels may be high in people with psychiatric disorders, alcoholism, or morbid obesity. This may be called "pseudo-Cushing state."
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17-OH Progesterone, ACTH, Plasma, ADH, Aldos/Renin Ratio, Aldosterone, Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), Cortisol - AM (Serum), Cortisol, Serum, Cortisol-Binding Globulin (CBG), DHEAS (Serum), Estradiol, Estradiol (male), Estradiol, Ultrasensitive, LC/MS, Estrogens, Total (female), Estrogens, Total (male), Estrone, Serum (Female), Estrone, Serum (Male), Free Cortisol, Serum, Glucagon, Growth Hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), Total, IA-2 Autoantibodies, IGF Binding Protein 1 (IGFBP 1), Leptin, Progesterone (male), Progesterone (Serum), Prolactin, Renin Activity, Plasma
