Why do some autoimmune patients have weird stress hormone patterns?
Does stress response axis activation differ between patients with autoimmune disease and healthy people?
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Women with SLE and SS showed no cortisol activation during stress, contradicting the common belief that autoimmune diseases always mean a 'hypoactive' HPA axis.
Many prior studies claimed autoimmune patients have low cortisol—but here, two groups had no response at all, while a third had high baseline cortisol. This flips the script.
Practical Takeaways
If you have lupus or scleroderma and feel constantly drained or anxious, your body may be flooding you with cortisol even at rest—consider stress management techniques that regulate HPA axis activity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Women with SLE and SS showed no cortisol activation during stress, contradicting the common belief that autoimmune diseases always mean a 'hypoactive' HPA axis.
Many prior studies claimed autoimmune patients have low cortisol—but here, two groups had no response at all, while a third had high baseline cortisol. This flips the script.
Practical Takeaways
If you have lupus or scleroderma and feel constantly drained or anxious, your body may be flooding you with cortisol even at rest—consider stress management techniques that regulate HPA axis activity.
Publication
Journal
Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress
Year
2024
Authors
E. Montero-López, M. I. Peralta-Ramírez, N. Ortego-Centeno, J. Sabio, J. Callejas-Rubio, N. Navarrete-Navarrete, M. C. García-Ríos, A. Santos-Ruiz
Related Content
Claims (4)
Prolonged stress-related hormonal signaling can reduce the ability of the immune system to maintain balance, which may lead to a higher likelihood of autoimmune conditions.
Women with systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome do not show an increase in salivary cortisol when exposed to psychological stress, while women without these conditions do. This suggests a difference in how the stress response system functions in these autoimmune diseases.
Women with systemic sclerosis produce more cortisol over the course of a day than healthy women, even though their immediate cortisol response to stress is similar. This suggests a difference in overall cortisol regulation that is not tied to short-term stress reactions.
Women with systemic lupus erythematosus or systemic sclerosis produce more cortisol over the course of a day than women without these conditions, suggesting that their stress hormone system remains altered even when they are not under immediate stress.