Two Important Hormones That Disrupt Metabolism

Two important hormones that disrupt metabolism are Insulin and Cortisol.

In the OPD, many complaints are heard such as:

- Feeling tired after waking up in the morning - Feeling like sleep was not complete - Increase in fat around the abdomen - Borderline sugar levels - Occasional rise in Blood Pressure

These may seem unrelated, but often the underlying cause is the body's stress response system.

1. What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands. Its functions include: - Helping to handle stress - Providing energy to the body - Playing a role in balancing blood pressure and sugar

In other words, cortisol is the body's natural stress hormone.

2. Natural rhythm of Cortisol

Cortisol levels are not constant throughout the day. The typical pattern is: - High in the morning to wake the body up - Gradually decreasing in the afternoon - Lowest at night to prepare for sleep

This is the body's circadian rhythm.

3. What happens if this rhythm is disturbed?

Many factors today disrupt cortisol rhythm such as: - Using screens late at night - Poor sleep - Constant mental stress - Low physical activity - Irregular routine

As a result, the body remains in an alert mode continuously.

4. Effects of prolonged high Cortisol

If cortisol remains elevated for a long time, it can affect metabolism causing: - Increased fat around the abdomen - Poor sugar control - Raised Blood Pressure - Light sleep - Fatigue

5. Cortisol effects seen with steroid medications

Steroid medications often belong to the corticosteroid group and act like cortisol in the body. Long-term steroid therapy can cause metabolic changes such as: - Weight gain - Increased sugar - Raised Blood Pressure

This shows the impact of cortisol.

6. How is Cortisol tested?

If needed, cortisol can be tested by: - Morning blood cortisol test - Sometimes saliva or urine tests

However, lifestyle patterns are more important in daily stress management.

7. Simple ways to improve Cortisol rhythm

- Morning sunlight exposure - Regular walking or physical activity - Quiet time in the evening - Fixed sleep schedule

These small changes help rebalance the body clock.

Understand that two hormones disrupting metabolism often appear together: Insulin and Cortisol. One is related to food, the other to stress. If their rhythms are disturbed, the body's overall rhythm is disturbed.

Dr Ravindra L Kulkarni MD, DNB, FSCAI (Cardiology) Just For Hearts