Cortisol is the principal glucocorticoid hormone in humans, synthesized from cholesterol in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex and released under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone. Its secretion follows a pronounced circadian rhythm, peaking in …
Cortisol is the principal glucocorticoid hormone in humans, synthesized from cholesterol in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex and released under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone. Its secretion follows a pronounced circadian rhythm, peaking in the early morning and declining across the day, and rises acutely during physical and psychological stress. Acting through intracellular glucocorticoid receptors that regulate gene transcription, cortisol mobilizes energy by promoting gluconeogenesis, lipolysis, and protein catabolism, modulates immune and inflammatory responses, and influences cardiovascular tone, mood, and cognition. Because it integrates the body's adaptive response to stressors, cortisol serves as a widely used biomarker of stress reactivity and HPA-axis function, measurable in serum, saliva, and other matrices. Sustained dysregulation, whether elevated or blunted, is implicated in depression, cognitive impairment, metabolic disturbance, and altered immune function. Themes in the associated literature include maternal behavior and attachment-related cortisol responses in children, basal cortisol in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, and experimental modulation of stress-related cortisol and anxiety using controlled stress paradigms and somatosensory interventions. Related work examines the interplay of stress, mood, and chronic disease. This journal publishes peer-reviewed research on the physiology of cortisol, the stress response, and its links to neuropsychiatric and metabolic health.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 59 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cortisol, linking to each citing work.