Low Cortisol & Heart Disease

You want your cortisol levels to stay balanced. Too much cortisol and you can gain belly fat and become fatigued. Too little and you get some serious diseases like Addison's (adrenal depletion). An excess of cortisol is not good for your heart and neither is too little.

Cortisol function

• Cortisol (steroid hormone) is involved in almost everything you do. According to Dr. David Zava it regulates blood pressure, builds muscle and fat, keeps kidneys functioning, is critical to your immune system, and helps with thyroid function. It also maintains the heart muscle and regulates contraction according to Dr. James Wilson, author of the book, Adrenal Fatigue.

Fluctuating Cortisol Levels

• Your cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day. They are highest first thing in the morning within 20 minutes of waking up. Then, they gradually decrease as the day goes on according to the insurance company, Cigna. Cortisol is at its lowest level in the middle of the night. To confirm a "true" low cortisol level, you need lab tests.

Low Cortisol Symptoms

• Low cortisol levels will produce these symptoms: fatigue, depression, anxiety attacks, aches and pains, less tolerance for exercise, shakiness and more. When you have an adrenal crisis, your body cannot produce enough cortisol and this is a life-threatening condition with symptoms like vomiting and rapid heart rate.

Heart Disease

• According to Dr. Ryan Stanton, heart disease is a symptom of low cortisol levels. Since cortisol is involved in maintenance of proper organ functioning, your heart is affected by the lack of cortisol or poor functioning adrenal glands (produce cortisol).

High Cortisol

• On the flip side, high cortisol levels are also associated with heart disease too according to Dr. Stanton. Increased cortisol will increase blood pressure and heart rate. But you cannot maintain high levels of cortisol indefinitely without getting adrenal fatigue, having an acute adrenal crisis, or developing a disease in which your body will deplete or not be able to make enough cortisol.