The Claim

Pulsatile administration of human corticotropin-releasing hormone (hCRH) at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 micrograms per kilogram of body weight in post-menopausal or ovariectomized women aged 46–65 progressively increases cortisol output through prolonged ACTH secretion, without altering luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels.

Source: Dose-response effects of exogenous pulsatile human corticotropin-releasing hormone on adrenocorticotropin, cortisol, and gonadotropin concentrations in agonadal women.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
53score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

How it works
1 study reviewed
In plain English

When human corticotropin-releasing hormone is given in pulses at doses of 0.5 to 2.0 micrograms per kilogram to women aged 46–65 who are post-menopausal or ovariectomized, cortisol levels rise due to sustained ACTH release, while luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels remain unchanged.

See the scientific wording

Pulsatile administration of human corticotropin-releasing hormone (hCRH) at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 micrograms per kilogram of body weight in post-menopausal or ovariectomized women aged 46–65 progressively increases cortisol output through prolonged ACTH secretion, without altering luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels.

Why this might work

When CRH is given in repeated pulses, it binds to cells in the pituitary gland that make ACTH, causing those cells to release more ACTH for a longer time. This extended ACTH signal tells the adrenal glands to keep producing cortisol, so cortisol levels rise and stay high. The same pulses do not affect cells in the pituitary that make reproductive hormones.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Dose-response effects of exogenous pulsatile human corticotropin-releasing hormone on adrenocorticotropin, cortisol, and gonadotropin concentrations in agonadal women.

    When doctors gave post-menopausal women repeated small doses of a stress hormone called CRH, their cortisol (stress) levels went up, but their reproductive hormones stayed exactly the same. So yes, CRH boosts stress response without messing with reproductive hormones.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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