A Simple Test, A Life-Changing Diagnosis: The Cortisol Connection

kAmWq!%X \ (96? t5 H2D 7:CDE 5:28?@D65 H:E9 EJA6 a 5:236E6D[ 96 H2D?VE E@@ H@CC:65] pD 2 42C66C =2H 6?7@C46>6?E @77:46C H9@ C@D6 7C@> 56AFEJ D96C:77 E@ =:6FE6?2?E[ 96 H2D :? 9:D 62C=J 7@CE:6D[ DEC@?8 2?5 7:E[ DE2?5:?8 d 7@@E `_ :?496D E2== 2?5 H6:89:?8 `g_ A@F?5D] w6 5:5 H@CCJ E92E J62CD @7 8C233:?8 BF:4< 72DE\7@@5 >62=D H9:=6 @? DEC66E A2EC@= 925 E2<6? 2 E@== @? 9:D 962=E9] *6E[ @?46 9:D 5:236E6D 5:28?@D:D H2D 4@?7:C>65[ 96 H2D 4@?7:56?E 96 4@F=5 92?5=6 2?JE9:?8 E92E 42>6 9:D H2J]k^Am

kAmQ|J 7:CDE E9@F89E H2D[ V9@H 325 42? :E 36nVQ 96 C642==D[ C6>6>36C:?8 E96 492==6?86D 96 72465 2D 2 A@=:46 @77:46C] Qx 5:5?VE F?56CDE2?5 H92E :E H2D 2?5 7:8FC65 x 4@F=5 ;FDE E2<6 2 =:EE=6 A:==]Qk^Am

kAmt5VD EC62E>6?E 5:5 368:? H:E9 2 =:EE=6 A:==[ 3FE D@@?[ @C2= >65:42E:@?D 72:=65 E@ 3C:?8 9:D 3=@@5 DF82C E@ 2446AE23=6 =6G6=D] w:D 962=E942C6 AC@G:56C DH:E4965 9:> E@ 2? :?DF=:? AF>A[ 3FE @G6C E:>6[ t5 ?66565 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 :?DF=:?]k^Am

kAmQ|J F?:E 5@D286 A6C 52J <6AE 86EE:?8 3:886C 2?5 3:886C[Q 96 D2JD] Qx H@F=5 36 FD:?8 2 C6D6CG@:C @7 :?DF=:? :? E96 AF>A[ 2?5 :E H@F=5 =2DE >6 2 52J 2?5 2 92=7] xE H2D?VE 92G:?8 E96 :>A24E @? >J 3@5J E92E :E D9@F=5 92G6[ 2?5 x H2D 8@:?8 E9C@F89 3F4<6ED @7 :?DF=:?]Qk^Am

kAmpD 9:D ?665 7@C :?DF=:? 2446=6C2E65[ 3@E9 t5 2?5 9:D A9JD:4:2? 3642>6 G6CJ 4@?46C?65] t5 H2D 2=D@ 6IA6C:6?4:?8 D:8?:7:42?E H6:89E 82:?] w:D H6:89E 6G6?EF2==J C624965 2 A62< @7 bb` A@F?5D]k^Am

kAm|2CC:65 E@ 9:D H:76 s2?2 7@C ch J62CD 2?5 2 72E96C E@ E9C66[ 72>:=J 92D 2=H2JD 366? t5VD E@A AC:@C:EJ] w6 H2D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ C6E:C:?8 7C@> =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 2?5 5@:?8 H92E 96 H2?E65 — 2?5 H96? 96 H2?E65] |@DE=J[ E92E >62?E DA6?5:?8 E:>6 H:E9 9:D 8C2?5<:5D] qFE 9:D A=2?D 7@C 2? 24E:G6[ 42C67C66 C6E:C6>6?E 5:D2AA62C65] Qx H2D E@@ 962GJ] x H2D?VE A9JD:42==J 23=6 E@ 5@ E96 E9:?8D E92E 2 8C2?5A2 H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 5@ H:E9 9:D 8C2?549:=5C6?[Q 96 D2JD]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mp {:76\r92?8:?8 s:28?@D:Di %96 r@CE:D@= r@??64E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmpD t5VD 4@?5:E:@? H@CD6?65[ 9:D 962=E942C6 AC@G:56C =@@<65 7@C 2?DH6CD] $96 DFDA64E65 t5 >:89E 92G6 2 4@?5:E:@? <?@H? 2D 9JA6C4@CE:D@=:D> 2?5 DF886DE65 96 86E E6DE65] wJA6C4@CE:D@=:D>[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D rFD9:?8VD DJ?5C@>6[ :D 42FD65 3J 6I46DD:G6 24E:G:EJ @7 E96 9@C>@?6 4@CE:D@=] !6CD:DE6?E=J 9:89 @C 5JDC68F=2E65 4@CE:D@= 24E:G:EJ 42? =625 E@ D6C:@FD DJ>AE@>D =:<6 9JA6CE6?D:@?[ 46?EC2= @36D:EJ[ 6=6G2E65 3=@@5 DF82C[ 2?5 42? 36 E96 F?56C=J:?8 42FD6 @7 5:77:4F=E\E@\4@?EC@= EJA6 a 5:236E6D] xE 42? 36 =6E92= :7 ?@E EC62E65 67764E:G6=J[ J6E :E :D @7E6? @G6C=@@<65 2?5 F?5:28?@D65]k^Am

kAm~?46 t5VD 3=@@5 E6DE W<?@H? 2D 2 56I2>6E92D@?6 DFAAC6DD:@? E6DE @C s$%X 42>6 324<[ 9:D A9JD:4:2?VD DFDA:4:@? H2D 4@?7:C>65 — 96 925 9JA6C4@CE:D@=:D>] }@H 96 925 2?DH6CD 2?5 F?56CDE@@5 9:D ?665 7@C 962GJ 5@D6D @7 :?DF=:?[ H9J 96 925 82:?65 D@ >F49 H6:89E[ 2?5 H9J 9:D 6?6C8J =6G6=D H6C6 D@ =@H] (@C<:?8 H:E9 9:D 42C6 E62>[ t5 4@F=5 ?@H C646:G6 EC62E>6?E 7@C 9:D 9JA6C4@CE:D@=:D> E@ 86E 9:D 4@CE:D@= — 2?5 9:D BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 — 324< @? EC24<]k^Am

kAmQu@CEF?2E6=J 7@C >6[ >J 962=E942C6 AC@76DD:@?2= H2D 2 C62= AC@[Q D2JD t5] Qu@C 2?J@?6 H9@ 92D 5:77:4F=E\E@\4@?EC@= EJA6 a 5:236E6D[ xV5 D2J E2=< E@ J@FC 5@4E@C 23@FE 4964<:?8 J@FC 4@CE:D@=]Qk^Am

kAmt5 :D ?@H 6?;@J:?8 E96 72>:=J\7@4FD65 C6E:C6>6?E 96 925 2=H2JD 6?G:D:@?65] Qx 766= 36EE6C[ x 92G6 >@C6 6?6C8J[ 2?5 x >:89E 92G6 8:G6? >JD6=7 >@C6 E:>6 E92E x 42? DA6?5 H:E9 >J 49:=5C6?[ 8C2?549:=5C6?[ 2?5 8C62E\8C2?549:=5C6?[Q 96 D2JD H:E9 2 D>:=6] QxD?VE E92E E96 >@DE AC64:@FD E9:?8 @7 2==nQk^Am

kAmx7 J@F DFDA64E J@F >2J 92G6 9JA6C4@CE:D@=:D> @C rFD9:?8VD DJ?5C@>6[ E2=< E@ J@FC 5@4E@C]k^Am

kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? DA62<:?8 E@ J@FC 5@4E@C @C E@ 7:?5 2 DA64:2=:DE ?62C J@F[ 8@ E@i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@CE:D@=:?4@?EC@=]4@>^=@42E6\2\DA64:2=:DEQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm9EEADi^^HHH]4@CE:D@=:?4@?EC@=]4@>^=@42E6\2\DA64:2=:DEk^2m]k^Am

kAmk6>m%9:D 2CE:4=6 :D E96 6IA6C:6?46 @7 @?6 A6CD@? 2?5 :D ?@E >65:42= 25G:46] r@?DF=E 2 >65:42= AC@76DD:@?2= 7@C >65:42= 25G:46[ 5:28?@D6D[ @C EC62E>6?E]k^6>mk^Am