What it means
The body's main stress hormone, made by the outer layer (cortex) of the adrenal glands. It raises blood sugar, helps keep blood pressure up and calms inflammation. The level is highest in the early morning and falls during the day, so the time of the blood draw matters. Too much cortisol is seen in Cushing syndrome or with long-term corticosteroidkor-tih-koh-STER-oydA drug that acts like the hormones of the adrenal glands, used mainly to calm inflammation and the immune system.cortic/o cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal gland)-oid likeFull entry drugs; too little in Addison disease.
For the nurse
Draw the sample at the time ordered (often early morning) and record the time on the label. Clients on long-term corticosteroids must not stop them suddenly, because the adrenal glands may not be able to make enough cortisol on their own.
At a glance
| Normal range | Morning 5–23 mcg/dL [138–635 nmol/L]; afternoon 3–13 mcg/dL [83–359 nmol/L]; each lab sets its own ranges. |
|---|---|
| Spanish | cortisol |
| Also written | cortisol level, serum cortisol, cortisol levels |
Related terms
corticosteroid
A drug that acts like the hormones of the adrenal glands, used mainly to calm inflammation and the immune system.
glucose
A simple sugar that is the body's main source of energy.
homeostasis
The body's way of keeping its inside conditions, such as temperature, fluids and blood sugar, steady.