Adrenocortex Stress Profile
How much stress can a body take?
A wide range of physical and emotional disorders have actually been linked to adrenal hormone imbalances.
Now there’s an easy way to find out whether these imbalances are affecting how you feel.
What are adrenal hormones?
There are two small glands attached to the top of your kidneys, called adrenal glands. They are essential for life. When you feel physical or psychological stress, these glands release natural chemicals such as adrenaline, DHEA, and cortisol (called adrenal hormones) directly into your bloodstream.
How do adrenal hormones affect my health?
Adrenals have one of the highest blood flow rates of any tissue in the body – so the hormones they produce can trigger reactions in all parts of your body. One major adrenal hormone is cortisol – a powerful anti-inflammatory. Cortisol levels rise dramatically with stress, prolonging your body’s “fight or flight” response. If your body is producing too much or too little cortisol, you may feel some of the following symptoms.
Weakness and Fatigue Cortisol imbalances can throw off the body’s blood sugar metabolism, making you feel weak, tired, and run-down. Too much cortisol can also interfere with sleep patterns and produce a “wakeful,” unrelaxing sleep state. So you may feel worn-out even after a full night’s sleep.
Muscle and Joint Pain Excess cortisol in the bloodstream accelerates the breakdown of body tissue and prevents proper tissue repair, leading to muscle and joint injuries and chronic pain.
Obesity Cortisol imbalances can stimulate fat deposits in various parts of the body, resulting in weight gains in the trunk, chest, neck and face.
Poor Skin High levels of cortisol can reduce the skin’s ability to regenerate, resulting in an unhealthy skin appearance.
Over time, cortisol imbalances can take a heavy toll on your health, wearing down your immune system, triggering premature aging, and setting the stage for chronic illness. Anxiety, depression, heart disease, AIDS and osteoporosis have all been linked with elevated cortisol levels.
What does DHEA do?
Another hormone produced by your adrenal glands, DHEA (dehydroepoandrosterone) actually works to balance many of the effects of cortisol on your body, helping it to cope with stress. In research studies, DHEA has been shown to improve memory function, boost energy levels, and reduce fat production. Most importantly, DHEA appears to protect the immune system from some of the cell damage caused by aging and disease.
Does age affect DHEA and cortisol levels?
Adrenal hormone levels change dramatically over the course of a lifetime. DHEA levels usually peak in a person’s early 20’s and then begin rapidly diminishing with age.
At an advanced age, your DHEA levels my have dropped 80-85% from their youthful levels! Cortisol levels, on the other hand, may continue to increase over time. If these two hormones remain chronically “out of sync,” it can tax the body’s immune system, making a person less able to cope with stress and more susceptible to a wide range of illnesses.
How does the Adrenocortex Stress Profile work?
The Adrenocortex Stress Profile is a safe, non-invasive test that determines your DHEA and cortisol levels using 4 saliva samples which can be easily collected at home or at work.
Balance is the key in assessing the overall effect of adrenal hormones on the body. That’s why, in addition to individual measures of DHEA and cortisol, the test report includes a DHEA/cortisol ratio that indicates your body’s unique and dynamic balance of these crucial stress hormones.
What are the advantages of saliva testing?
Saliva testing can provide a more accurate indication of the free, bioactive hormones circulating in your body than other types of analysis. It’s also more convenient and less expensive than conventional blood testing. And because saliva samples can be easily collected at home in a relaxed setting, test results are much less likely to be affected by the stress induced by more invasive procedures.
Saliva testing also allows for easy timing of sample collections, which is very important for analyzing hormones such as cortisol, whose levels rise or fall depending on the time of day.
How are the results helpful?
After examining your results, your healthcare provider can suggest a therapeutic program to restore DHEA and cortisol to their optimal, beneficial levels. This will help ensure a healthy stress response, optimal immune function, and a greater defense against age-related degenerative disease.
- Do you often feel weak and tired, for no apparent reason?
- Are you under chronic stress?
- Do you have trouble getting a night of restful sleep?
- Do you have low sex drive?
- Are you exposed to high noise levels?
- Are you feeling anxious or depressed?
- Do you have menstrual difficulties?
- Are you suffering from joint pain?
- Do you have an eating disorder?
- Have you recently gained or lost weight?
- Do you suffer from ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome?
- Do you have trouble with concentration, memory, or learning?
- Do you suffer from hypertension?
- Are you taking DHEA or pregnenolone supplements without the guidance of a trained healthcare provider?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may be suffering from an over or under-reactive stress response by your adrenal hormones. Contact Lee Rossano-McLaughlin and Dr. John McLaughlin to find out if an Adrenocortex Stress Profile might be helpful for you.
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant for use as a diagnostic guide. Please consult directly with your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options. Healthcare providers may deem it medically necessary to order a single test or a portion of a profile.
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