what is cortisol
TRANSCRIPT
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