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Cortisol and Hormone Suppression

Meaning

This clinical concept describes the intentional or pathological reduction in the synthesis or secretion of specific hormones, often as a direct or indirect consequence of elevated cortisol levels or exogenous steroid administration. Sustained high cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, can exert negative feedback on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, leading to the suppression of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Clinically, this suppression is a key factor in stress-induced reproductive and metabolic dysfunction.