A Flat Cortisol Curve Can Be Deadly

For the average American, personal sources of stress remain high, according to the 2019 Stress in America Survey. Stressors can include anything from high-pressure jobs and family dysfunction to the political climate and healthcare costs. Many Americans are aware of the negative effects of stress on the body, as more and more studies continue to link stress to disease.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, impacts nearly all the body’s systems. Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, usually higher in the morning and the lowest at night. Studies show that deviations from this pattern are indicative of adrenal dysfunction. A flat cortisol curve is considered a dysfunctional pattern. A flattened curve, whereby the amount of cortisol secreted (high or low) shifts very little throughout the day, has been shown to be strongly linked to a shorter lifespan and negative health indicators. One study showed a strong correlation between a flattened cortisol curve and reduced survival time for metastatic breast cancer patients, as well as early death in lung cancer patients. Another study indicated correlation between flattened cortisol curves and mortality from all causes, including cardiovascular deaths.

What can be done about this epidemic of stress? The functional medicine model shows clinicians how to mitigate the effects of toxic stress by identifying sources of stress and measuring cortisol levels throughout the day, which would enable identification of the different types of dysfunction that can be associated with flattened cortisol curves. Clinicians can help patients integrate lifestyle and nutritional therapies into their daily routines.