Tag " cortisol"

Disease or hormone imbalance? I have been plagued by insomnia for years and years. I have attributed it to many things and have been diagnosed with a variety of “disease states”. Depression is associated with insomnia, check. Too much stress from the loss of loved ones to the stresses of medical school and residency, check. [...]

I never thought that diabetes would be something for me to worry about.  I have never been overweight, love to exercise, and thought I ate healthy.  When I was in my 30s, I worked long hours pulling a 36-hour shift hour shift at least once a week.  My breakfast was usually a bagel and cream [...]

Pregnenolone is a hormone that is produced primarily in the adrenal glands and the brain.  It sits just under cholesterol in the hormonal cascade and is a precursor for all the other steroid hormones: progesterone,  cortisol,  estradiol,  testosterone, and DHEA.  Like the other steroid hormones, pregnenolone declines with age to less than 60% of youthful [...]

Cortisol and Stress Cortisol, commonly known as hydrocortisone, is the major hormone secreted by the adrenal glands when the body is under stress.  It is critical in the body’s ability to act accordingly when attacked, whether it is by invaders like viruses and bacteria or allergens, or perceived attacks such as stressful jobs, relationships, and [...]

To get you ready for my next post: There are more than 15 steroid hormones, each with its own metabolites, and an enzyme system that converts them from one steroid to another, from moment to moment: the steroid hormone cascade.

We hear so much about the thyroid today and it seems that almost everyone has or thinks they have a thyroid problem.  So what’s the deal – is thyroid disease really increasing that much?  Are all these people complaining of depression, fatigue and difficulty losing weight just looking for excuses or can these problems be [...]