Cortisol- Spot Urine

Cortisol is a secretion of adrenal glands which can be found on top of the kidneys. It is responsible for regulating various aspects of the human body, especially the response to emotional and physical stress. It is an essential hormone which controls the body's use of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to govern the metabolic rate of the body, including blood pressure.

All tissues in the human body carry glucocorticoid receptors which aid in facilitating the response during flight-or-fight situations. The stress hormone also regulates the blood sugar levels to supply energy to the body for repair and combat infections.

Usually, the cortisols are present in the bloodstream and attach to proteins. However, free cortisols can also be found in urine and saliva.

Fluctuations in cortisol also indicate a health problem leading to the activation of the flight-or-fight response. The cortisol levels may be in flux due to internal injury, infection or an underlying disease.

To detect the presence of Cushing syndrome and Addison disease, medical practitioners usually recommend a cortisol urine test. In the Cushing syndrome or hypercortisolism, the patient’s body produces excessive cortisol. Contrastingly, in Addison disease or hypocortisolism (Primary adrenal insufficiency), the human body secretes too little hormone.

The changes in cortisol levels occur due to a variety of reasons, such as:

• Disorders of the adrenal gland
• Noncancerous tumour growth
• Flux in estrogen level in females 
• Genetic factors 
• Lifestyle habits such as smoking, alcohol intake etc.

The symptoms of having less cortisol than usual are: 

• Persistent abdominal pain
• Unusual menstrual periods
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplainable weight loss
• Cravings for salty food items 
• Dehydration 
• Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia 
• Low blood pressure or hypotension
• Difficulty in climbing stairs 
• Muscle weakness, including trouble with combing hair 
• Dark skin patches 
• Darkening of lips, palms and gums 
• Mood swings and irritability

On the other hand, the primary signs of high blood pressure are: 

• Fluctuations in sex drive 
• Change in hair growth pattern, including excessive hair growth or balding
• Purple stretch marks on the abdomen
• Slow healing of wounds
• Stunted growth
• Weight gain 
• Irregular periods
• Weaker bones and enhanced fracture risk
• Increased blood clotting risk

In the Cortisol- Spot Urine test, the patient is supposed to collect urine in a span of 24 hours as per the doctors’ recommendation. In the specimen, an authorized lab technician gauges the estimates of cortisol and matches it with the normal range.

The normal values of the stress hormone depend on the time of day when it is collected. The acceptable range for cortisol in the morning after waking up is 5 to 25 mcg/dL or 140 to 690 nmol/L, while in the evening, a good value is between 3 to 10 mcg/dL.

Due to the regulation of circadian rhythm, the hormone level in the morning is higher than the rest of the day.

Apollo 24|7 has spot urine cortisol screening using advanced tools and efficient lab technicians. After the diagnosis, the doctors recommend a range of treatment options to deal with the change in the cortisol level, including medication and modification of lifestyle habits.