The Claim
Six months of weight loss resulting in an 8% reduction in body weight, with or without aerobic exercise, has no significant effect on basal cortisol levels or cortisol suppression in response to dexamethasone in postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, losing 8% of body weight over six months, whether or not they do aerobic exercise, does not change their baseline cortisol levels or how their cortisol responds to dexamethasone.
See the scientific wording
Six months of weight loss (8% body weight reduction) with or without aerobic exercise does not significantly alter basal cortisol levels or cortisol suppression in response to dexamethasone in postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity.
When a person loses weight, the body's cells become more responsive to cortisol, which allows the brain to turn off cortisol production more effectively. This improved sensitivity fixes the broken signal that kept cortisol levels high, but it doesn't change how much cortisol is made at rest or how the body responds to a test that checks this shutdown system.
What the research says
1 studyLosing 8% of body weight, whether by diet alone or with walking, didn't change the body's baseline stress hormone levels or how it responded to a test that checks stress hormone control in these women.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.