Skip to main content

Cortisol Metabolism Mapping

Meaning

A specialized diagnostic process that goes beyond measuring total circulating cortisol to quantify the activity of the enzymes responsible for cortisol production, activation, and clearance into inactive metabolites. This mapping reveals how an individual processes cortisol, identifying whether the issue lies in production, peripheral tissue activation (e.g., by 11β-HSD1), or efficient detoxification (e.g., by 5α- and 5β-reductases). It offers a superior clinical resolution for understanding chronic stress and HPA axis function compared to simple total cortisol measurement.