Glossary · Y học
Cortisol
A steroid hormone regarded as the body's principal stress hormone. It is the primary glucocorticoid, released by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex, and its production is governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
According to StatPearls ("Physiology, Cortisol"), cortisol is the principal stress hormone and exerts extensive influence over many physiological processes throughout the body. It is the primary glucocorticoid, synthesised and released by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis governs cortisol production and secretion. This is an endocrine signalling chain: the hypothalamus and pituitary signal the adrenal gland to release cortisol, and disruption of this regulatory system results in cortisol excess disorders (such as Cushing syndrome) or deficiency states (such as Addison disease).
Cortisol influences metabolism, immune activity, cardiovascular tone and the stress response by modulating glucose availability, protein catabolism, lipolysis and inflammatory signalling.