Extra cortisol can lessen the impact of stress among women

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Women can be protected from stress by cortisol hormone, according to a new study.
Cortisol is a stress hormone and its effect on the body can give rise to various chronic health problems, such as heart disease and depression. However, researchers at the University of Bielefeld, Germany, now reveal that pre-treatment with cortisol can help people cope with the after effects of severe stress.

They exposed 44 healthy volunteers to a lab-induced stressful experience. Before this test, the participants were given either 30 milligrams of cortisol or a placebo. Those given the cortisol had a better mood state after the stressor and the researchers think that the hormone, given before a stressful event, may act as a kind of buffer. That is, the administered cortisol may be able to anticipate the natural rise in the hormone and somehow offset its effects. The findings may be applicable to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder.

Source
Behavioral Neuroscience February 2007

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