The Study
Chronic Stress and Autoimmunity: The Role of HPA Axis and Cortisol Dysregulation
This study is like a teacher summarizing what scientists think about stress and autoimmune diseases. It doesn’t do a new experiment but puts together ideas from many other studies. We can learn about possible connections, but we can’t say for sure that stress causes these diseases based on this alone.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
When you're stressed for a long time, your body's stress system can get worn out and stop working right. This can cause too much inflammation, which might trick your immune system into attacking your own body.
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 51 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, this matters—long-term stress may increase your risk of developing autoimmune diseases by disrupting your body's natural balance.
- 2People with stress disorders have up to 1.49 times higher risk of autoimmune thyroid disease.
- 3Some sick people have higher cortisol in hair and saliva.
- 4Stressed mice show more immune imbalance.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Year
2025
Authors
Sergio Gutierrez Nunez, Sara Peixoto Rabelo, Nikola Subotić, J. Caruso, N. Knezevic
Related Content
Claims (7)
When stressors and nutritional deficiencies are corrected in people with chronic autoimmune conditions, the body's internal balance returns to normal.
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.
Long-term stress can mess with your body's stress control system, making it harder to calm down and causing ongoing inflammation that might lead to health problems.
Long-term stress might mess with your body's hormone system, lower key hormones and weaken your gut's immune defenses, which could make thyroid problems worse or even trigger them.
Long-term stress might throw your immune system out of balance, turning up inflammation and turning down protection, which could lead to autoimmune problems — especially in those who are already at risk — and this has been seen in mice prone to lupus when they're stressed by the smell of predators.
When people are under long-term stress—like caregivers for cancer patients—their immune cells may stop responding well to the body's natural calming signals from cortisol. This can lead to more inflammation and less control over it, throwing the immune system out of balance.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.