The Study
The Effects of Weight Loss and Aerobic Exercise on Cortisol and Cortisol Suppression in Postmenopausal Women with Overweight and Obesity
This study looked at how cortisol (a stress hormone) relates to weight and food in a group of older women. It found that women with higher blood sugar tended to have higher cortisol, and certain fats in their diet were linked to cortisol too — but it didn’t prove that eating those fats changes cortisol. It’s like noticing that people who wear raincoats often carry umbrellas — they’re connected, but one doesn’t cause the other.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether losing weight or exercising more changes the level of cortisol—a stress hormone—in older women who are overweight.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Even though the women lost weight and improved their blood sugar, their stress hormone levels didn’t drop, which is surprising because weight loss often lowers cortisol.
- 2Higher blood sugar, eating more polyunsaturated fats (like fish oil), and eating more cholesterol were linked to higher cortisol levels.
- 3After losing 8% of body weight—with or without exercise—cortisol levels stayed the same.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Endocrine research
Year
2024
Authors
Alice S Ryan, Monica C. Serra, G. Bigman, Sausan Jaber
Related Content
Claims (5)
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, higher fasting blood glucose levels are consistently linked to higher baseline cortisol levels in the blood, even when accounting for body fat amount.
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, higher consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids is linked to higher resting cortisol levels.
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, higher dietary cholesterol intake is linked to higher baseline cortisol levels, even when accounting for total fat and calorie intake.
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.
In postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity, higher cortisol levels after dexamethasone suppression are linked to greater body weight, larger waist circumference, and more total fat mass.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.