Causes of Elevated Cortisol Levels

When you have high cortisol levels over a long period of time your body and overall health can be adversely affected. Excess cortisol levels can be caused by external stimuli (medications) or from problems that originate from disorders within the body.

Your Body Needs Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone that regulates your body's immune response. In the right amount it regulates your metabolic functions. Cortisol also helps you deal with stress. When you are under stress, cortisol is secreted resulting in a mobilization of fat, protein and carbohydrates to help you take action against the stressor. Known as the 'fight or flight' response, the mobilization of these nutrients along with epinephrine and other endocrine hormones enables you to take quick action when you're under stress.

But Too Much Cortisol May Adversely Affect Your Health

In elevated amounts cortisol can have negative effects on your health. It increases the breakdown of proteins and muscles, negatively impacts glucose absorbtion and decreases muscle growth hormones. Cortisol can also cause problems with sleep, mood, sex drive, bone and ligament health, cardiovascular health and athletic performance. When cortisol levels are elevated for a long time, they cause a constant breakdown of your muscles and suppress your immune system. This puts you at risk for illness and injury and reduces your muscle strength.

Excess Cortisol May Result from Corticosteroid Medicines You Take

Sometimes doctors prescribe corticosteroids (like prednisone) to treat inflammatory diseases such as asthma, lupus or other inflammatory illnesses. The doses that are prescribed are many times higher than your body can adjust to, causing an excess about of cortisol in your system. If taken for a long period of time, these corticosteroids, in the form of an injection or pill, can elevate levels of cortisol to excess.

Your Body May Produce Too Much Cortisol on Its Own

Elevated cortisol levels can also be caused by your body's overproduction. This can happen when your adrenal glands produce excess adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which controls cortisol production. If this occurs your doctor may suspect a pituitary gland tumor (a non-cancerous tumor), an ectopic ACTH-secreting tumor (a cancerous or non-cancerous tumor that grows in an organ such as the lung, pancreas, thyroid or thymus gland) or primary adrenal gland disease (a non-cancerous tumor of the adrenal cortex).

Treatment for Elevated Cortisol Levels

Treatment for elevated cortisol depends upon the cause. If it is due to medication use, your doctor will reduce the amount of corticosteroids you are taking. If it is due to a tumor or ACTH syndrome, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy immunotherapy or a combination of these therapies may be advised.

References

• Mayo Clinic
• National Institutes of Health
• Diagose Me