Steady Levels Of Cortisol During Daytime Tied To Negative Health Outcomes

reported steady levels of cortisol throughout the day may be tied to “serious health problems, such as inflammation, obesity and cancer,” according to a study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology. The study’s lead author Emma Adam says that cortisol levels naturally vary throughout the day, but a “lack of variation...is associated with negative health outcomes.” https://consumer.healthday.com/mental-health-information-25/stress-health-news-640/when-stress-hormone-falters-your-health-may-suffer-725272.html Normally, cortisol levels should vary throughout the day. "Cortisol is naturally high in the morning to help perk you up, and it decreases into the evening," said study lead author Emma Adam. She is a professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University. "The loss of this cycle -- or the lack of variation of cortisol -- is what is associated with negative health outcomes in our study," Adam said in a university news release. The findings suggest that restoring daily cortisol rhythms could benefit people's health. "It's the righting of rhythms that are important, more so than the righting of levels," the researchers wrote.