What is the cortisol stimulation test?

The cortisol stimulation test, sometimes known as the Syncthen test, is used to explore the production of hormonal cortisol. Cortisol is usually released by the renal glands found at the top of the kidneys, in response to the hormone known as ACTH, which is produced by pituitary gland in the brain. During the cortisol stimulation test, the synthetic copy of ACTH is given by injection and cortisol levels in the blood are measured before and after injection to see if they are as expected. If low levels of cortisol are found after the test, this could indicate a problem with the adrenal glands. If the adrenal glands do not work properly, this can lead to low levels of cortisol, which are associated with a serious condition called Addison's disease. The body symptoms affect Addison's disease, but include fatigue, dark spots on the skin, low blood pressure and nausea. The risk is that without treatment, a stressful experience such as infection can suddenly worsen symptoms, which would lead to a collapse that could be fatal. For diagnosis notPower is a useful test of cortisol stimulation.

There are short and long versions of the cortisol stimulation test. In a short version, cortisol testing includes a blood sample taken from a vein to measure cortisol levels. Furthermore, synthetic ACTH injections are given in a muscle or vein. After waiting for about half an hour, the second blood sample is taken and the cortisol levels are measured again to see if the adrenal glands normally respond to the injection. The longer version of the test is similar, but instead of taking only the second blood sample, a number of samples are taken to assess the level of cortisolo of the adrenaline function for 24 hours.

and also help in diagnosis of Addison's disease, the cortisol stimulation test may indicate whether other diseases are affected by adrenal glands such as infections or cancer. If the diagnosis of Addison's disease is made, treatment consists of taking cortisol replacement twice or three times a day. UseVarious doses, starting day with higher morning cortisol levels and ending with lower cortisol levels to mimic the formula found in most healthy people.