Why fat cells in obese people make too much stress hormone
Increased in vivo regeneration of cortisol in adipose tissue in human obesity and effects of the 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor carbenoxolone.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Fat cells in obese men make more stress hormone (cortisol) than in lean men, even though the whole body doesn’t make more. Insulin normally tells fat cells to stop making cortisol, but in obesity, the cells ignore insulin. A drug meant to block this hormone production didn’t work well in fat cells and didn’t help insulin sensitivity.
Surprising Findings
Carbenoxolone inhibited whole-body cortisol but failed to inhibit cortisol regeneration in abdominal fat.
Scientists assumed the drug would penetrate fat tissue and block the enzyme—this study proved it couldn’t, despite systemic effects.
Practical Takeaways
If you're struggling to lose weight despite diet and exercise, consider that your fat tissue may be producing excess cortisol—stress management and sleep are critical.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Fat cells in obese men make more stress hormone (cortisol) than in lean men, even though the whole body doesn’t make more. Insulin normally tells fat cells to stop making cortisol, but in obesity, the cells ignore insulin. A drug meant to block this hormone production didn’t work well in fat cells and didn’t help insulin sensitivity.
Surprising Findings
Carbenoxolone inhibited whole-body cortisol but failed to inhibit cortisol regeneration in abdominal fat.
Scientists assumed the drug would penetrate fat tissue and block the enzyme—this study proved it couldn’t, despite systemic effects.
Practical Takeaways
If you're struggling to lose weight despite diet and exercise, consider that your fat tissue may be producing excess cortisol—stress management and sleep are critical.
Publication
Journal
Diabetes
Year
2005
Authors
Thekkepat C. Sandeep, R. Andrew, N. Homer, R. Andrews, Ken Smith, B. Walker
Related Content
Claims (6)
In obese men, a drug called carbenoxolone does not block a specific enzyme in fat tissue that regulates stress hormones, suggesting that existing drugs of this type are not strong enough or cannot reach the fat tissue effectively to change metabolism.
In obese men, the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 converts inactive cortisol to its active form at higher rates in abdominal fat tissue than in lean men, even though overall cortisol production in the body is similar between the two groups.
In lean men, insulin reduces the activity of an enzyme in fat tissue that regulates cortisol, but this reduction does not occur in obese men, suggesting a difference in how insulin affects cortisol processing in fat tissue between these groups.
Carbenoxolone, a drug that blocks an enzyme involved in cortisol production, lowers cortisol regeneration throughout the body in obese men, but it does not significantly reduce cortisol regeneration in abdominal fat tissue or improve how the body responds to insulin.
In men with obesity, the drug carbenoxolone does not improve insulin sensitivity as effectively as it does in men with normal weight, suggesting that obesity alters how the body responds to this type of treatment.