Cortisol is the main hormone produced during stress and the fight, flight, or freeze response. This is a protective response to a perceived danger or threat.
In a healthy individual, cortisol levels increase and decrease at different times of the day. It's usually higher in the morning and lower at night unless a person works during late hours or has changing shifts.
The cortisol is done to check for increased or decreased cortisol production. A physician uses a cortisol test to diagnose or monitor:
Other conditions for which the cortisol test may be ordered include:
This is a single-marker test measuring cortisol. It can help you diagnose conditions such as adrenocortical insufficiency, Addison's disease, adrenocortical hypersecretion, and Cushing's syndrome.
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