CFS linked to Hormone
22-08-2008
Women with CFS may have low levels of cortisol in the mornings!
Jan 18, 2008
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may be linked to the stress hormone cortisol, at least in women, according to a new study.
The study shows that women with CFS had lower cortisol levels in the morning, compared with healthy women.
The study included 185 Georgia adults, 75 of whom had chronic fatigue syndrome. Those patients had fatigue lasting 6 or more months with no known cause and accompanied by at least 4 other symptoms, such as muscle pain or memory problems.
Participants provided saliva samples taken as soon as they woke up, and again 30 minutes later, and then an hour later. The CDC's William Reeves, MD, and colleagues measured cortisol levels in the saliva samples.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was associated with low morning cortisol levels among women, but not among men. Morning cortisol levels among men were similar in both healthy men, and those with CFS.
The study doesn't prove that low morning levels of cortisol cause women's chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers don't know which came first -- low morning cortisol levels or chronic fatigue syndrome -- but their findings may be a clue for researchers.
The study appears in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Source Webmd.com By Miranda Hitti, WebMd Health News
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may be linked to the stress hormone cortisol, at least in women, according to a new study.
The study shows that women with CFS had lower cortisol levels in the morning, compared with healthy women.
The study included 185 Georgia adults, 75 of whom had chronic fatigue syndrome. Those patients had fatigue lasting 6 or more months with no known cause and accompanied by at least 4 other symptoms, such as muscle pain or memory problems.
Participants provided saliva samples taken as soon as they woke up, and again 30 minutes later, and then an hour later. The CDC's William Reeves, MD, and colleagues measured cortisol levels in the saliva samples.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was associated with low morning cortisol levels among women, but not among men. Morning cortisol levels among men were similar in both healthy men, and those with CFS.
The study doesn't prove that low morning levels of cortisol cause women's chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers don't know which came first -- low morning cortisol levels or chronic fatigue syndrome -- but their findings may be a clue for researchers.
The study appears in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Source Webmd.com By Miranda Hitti, WebMd Health News