Chronically elevated Cortisol can make weight loss harder by increasing appetite, boosting glucose production and promoting abdominal fat storage, endocrinologists said.
Stress, poor sleep, illness and other factors can keep cortisol elevated long enough to raise insulin resistance and the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Doctors said temporary stress-related cortisol spikes usually do not require formal testing, but suspected overproduction may prompt blood, urine and saliva tests—sometimes saliva taken 4 times a day.
Common self-care steps include 7-8 hours of sleep, 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week, stress-reduction practices and a balanced Mediterranean- or plant-based diet.