Cortisol is an important hormonemade naturally in the body
Cortisol helps manage stress, sleep cycles, how the body breaks down food (metabolism), blood pressure, and blood sugar. However, if there’s too much cortisol activity, it can disrupt those systems over time.
When you’re dealing with multiple health issues, it can be hard to pinpoint the underlying cause. Excess cortisol could actually be the cause of a variety of signs and symptoms.
Excess cortisol could be a driving forcebehind your high blood pressure or high blood sugar
If your blood pressure and/or blood sugar numbers are unpredictable even after eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and taking multiple medications, it could be a sign of a deeper problem. You may have a condition called endogenous hypercortisolism. This happens when the body makes excess cortisol due to a growth on the adrenal gland, pituitary gland, or somewhere else in the body.
Signs and symptomsof excess cortisol
In addition to high blood pressure and/or high blood sugar, there are other symptoms that indicate excess cortisol could be the underlying problem.
Some of them include:
difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
anxiety
depression
unexplained weight gain
feeling very tired (fatigue)
trouble remembering things, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, forgetfulness
extreme mood swings, irritability, anger, feeling "short-fused"
If you have high blood pressure and/or high blood sugar and 1 or more of these symptoms—even if they aren't severe—talk to a healthcare professional about getting a dexamethasone suppression test (DST). A DST is a blood test that can help determine if excess cortisol is the underlying cause of your ongoing health issues. It is 1 of 3 tests available to measure cortisol levels and is the most sensitive option.
The impact of excess cortisol
Cortisol and high blood pressure
High blood pressure doesn’t always have obvious symptoms. This is why it is often called the “silent killer.” If left unmanaged, it can lead to serious heart health emergencies. That’s why it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional if your blood pressure:
remains high
doesn’t respond to lifestyle changes and multiple blood pressure medications
When excess cortisol goes undetected, the risk of developing serious heart problems—like heart disease or stroke—can be up to 5 times higher.
Cortisol and high blood sugar
In a study that included people with type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled high blood sugar, nearly 1 in 4 had excess cortisol.* If you have tried everything you can to manage your high blood sugar but nothing seems to work, that could be a sign of a deeper problem, like excess cortisol.
The study included adults with type 2 diabetes who: were taking multiple antidiabetic medications or were taking insulin and another antidiabetic medication; were taking 2 antidiabetic medications and had diabetes-related nerve damage, eye or kidney problems, or heart disease related to diabetes, and/or had high blood pressure that needed 2 or more medications to manage.
Cortisol and high blood pressure
Cortisol and high blood pressure
High blood pressure doesn’t always have obvious symptoms. This is why it is often called the “silent killer.” If left unmanaged, it can lead to serious heart health emergencies. That’s why it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional if your blood pressure:
remains high
doesn’t respond to lifestyle changes and multiple blood pressure medications
When excess cortisol goes undetected, the risk of developing serious heart problems—like heart disease or stroke—can be up to 5 times higher.
Cortisol and high blood sugar
Cortisol and high blood sugar
In a study that included people with type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled high blood sugar, nearly 1 in 4 had excess cortisol.* If you have tried everything you can to manage your high blood sugar but nothing seems to work, that could be a sign of a deeper problem, like excess cortisol.
The study included adults with type 2 diabetes who: were taking multiple antidiabetic medications or were taking insulin and another antidiabetic medication; were taking 2 antidiabetic medications and had diabetes-related nerve damage, eye or kidney problems, or heart disease related to diabetes, and/or had high blood pressure that needed 2 or more medications to manage.
Could it be time toask for a DST?
The Cortisol Self-Assessment is a personalized resource that can help you and a healthcare professional identify if your signs and symptoms could be linked to excess cortisol. Fill out the assessment and use it as a resource to help start a conversation with a healthcare professional about whether a DST could be right for you.
The sooner you get tested, the sooner you can find out if excess cortisol is behind your health issues.
