cortisol

Neuroendocrine signature of ME/CFS: Meta-analytic evidence for bioactive cortisol deficit and exaggerated feedback sensitivity Abstract Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a major clinical challenge as a complex multisystemic disorder with no well-established...

Objective, but Not Subjective, Sleepiness is Associated With Inflammation in Sleep Apnea Yun Li, Alexandros N Vgontzas, Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, Ilia Kritikou, Maria Basta, Slobodanka Pejovic, Jordan Gaines, Edward O Bixler https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6251609/ (PDF available) Study...

The role of hypocortisolism in chronic fatigue syndrome Abstract Abstract Background: There is accumulating evidence of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hypofunction in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, knowledge of this hypofunction has so far come exclusively from research...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10253890.2026.2638303 Research Article The association between hair cortisol levels, Epstein-Barr virus infections and chronic fatigue in adolescents Berit Elise Bergem Kongsnes , Tarjei Tørre Asprusten , Vegard Bruun Bratholm Wyller & Maria...

Spironolactone for ME/CFS in a Patient Homozygous for rs5522 (I180V): A Case Report Donnellan, Patricia Abstract Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition with no consistently effective treatment. The mineralocorticoid receptor variant...

2001 paper Several neuroendocrine studies have suggested hypoactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in chronic fatigue syndrome. One possible determinant of this neuroendocrine abnormality, as well as the primary symptom of fatigue, is reduced hypothalamic secretion of...

Shared autonomic phenotype of long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome Peter Novak; David M Systrom; Alexandra Witte; Sadie P Marciano; Donna Felsenstein; Jeff M Milunsky; Aubrey Milunsky; Joel Krier; Mark C Fishman INTRODUCTION Long COVID and myalgic...

Salivary cortisol in long COVID: a marker of broader stress system and circadian rhythm dysregulation INTRODUCTION Long COVID (LC) has been associated with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, although findings from blood cortisol measurements remain inconsistent. We...

Possible Involvement of Hypothalamic Dysfunction in Long COVID Patients Characterized by Delayed Response to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Long COVID (LC) may involve endocrine dysfunction; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To examine hypothalamic–pituitary responses in...

A chronobiology-based protocol for multi-omic mapping of menstrual cycle and diurnal rhythms in ME/CFS and long COVID Abstract Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID are debilitating multisystem illnesses with overlapping symptoms and poorly understood...

Hormonal alterations in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome Aim The chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with alterations in the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis and cardiovascular autonomic nervous activity, suggesting a central dysregulation. This study explored differences among...

https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2025/12/04/chronic-fatigue-hpa-axis-autopsy/ All in all, the HPA axis with the dramatic reduction of CRH-producing neurons in the hypothalamus, a shutdown of the pituitary, and lower cortisol levels found appeared to be pretty much of a wreck in these...

Can Low Cortisol Predict Long COVID? A Controversial Issue Cortisol dysregulation has been proposed as a biomarker of long COVID (LC), but findings remain inconsistent. Prior reports suggested low cortisol levels in LC, yet collection times and study designs varied substantially. To evaluate...

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(25)00522-1 Highlights • Female long COVID (LC) patients show heightened immune activation and inflammation • Disrupted sex hormone levels differ between male and female LC patients • Neuroinflammatory gene signatures may explain...

The potential bidirectional relationship between long COVID and menstruation Women have reported menstrual changes following SARS-CoV-2 infection and variation in long COVID symptoms across the menstrual cycle. We examined (i) whether COVID is linked to abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), (ii) if...

Steroid dynamics in myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-control study using ultra performance supercritical fluid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry Natalie Thomas, S. J. Kumari A. Ubhayasekera, Christopher W. Armstrong, Katherine Huang, Jonas Bergquist [Line...

Immunological and Clinical Markers of Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19: Insights from Mild and Severe Cases 6 Months Post-infection William Mouton; Sophia Djebali; Marine Villard; Omran Allatif; Cécile Chauvel; Sarah Benezech; Philippe Vanhems; Jacqueline Marvel; Thierry Walzer; Sophie...

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis in Patients Presenting to Psychosomatic Medicine with Fatigue Sunao Matsubayashi, Makoto Yamashita, Takeshi Hara, Makito Tanabe, Shuichi Matsumoto Abstract Many patients with fatigue are referred to psychosomatic medicine, but few studies have examined the...

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0315486 Michael R. Lawrence, Judith E. Arnetz , Scott E. Counts, Aiesha Ahmed, Bengt B. Arnetz https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315486 Abstract Substantial numbers of individuals who contract COVID-19 experience...

2014 paper https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4165790/ open access Daniel L Hall, Emily G Lattie, Michael H Antoni, Mary Ann Fletcher, Sara Czaja, Dolores Perdomo, Nancy Klimas Abstract Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized in part by debilitating fatigue typically exacerbated...