What does corticosteroid hormone refer to?
Disease description:
Recently, I have been very puzzled by a question and would like to ask a doctor: what does cortisol hormone refer to?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Cortisol, also known as glucocorticoid, is a steroid hormone secreted by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex in the human body, and is also called hydrocortisone. Its secretion in the blood follows a circadian rhythm, usually peaking in the early morning and gradually declining thereafter, reaching its lowest level at midnight. Cortisol plays multiple important roles in the body, including regulating the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-shock, and immunosuppressive effects.
Clinically, cortisol is widely used in the treatment of various diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, severe bronchial asthma, dermatomyositis, vasculitis, acute leukemia, and malignant lymphoma. Additionally, in chemotherapy, it can also be used to treat serious conditions such as shock and cardiac arrest.
However, abnormal secretion of cortisol may also lead to a series of diseases, such as hypercortisolism (Cushing's syndrome). Therefore, monitoring cortisol levels is important for the diagnosis and treatment of certain endocrine disorders.
