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Cortisol-Pregnenolone Steal

Meaning

The Cortisol-Pregnenolone Steal is a theoretical, yet clinically relevant, concept in endocrinology suggesting that under conditions of chronic, prolonged stress, the body preferentially shunts the common steroid precursor, pregnenolone, toward the production of cortisol at the expense of other vital steroid hormones. This mechanism occurs because pregnenolone is the direct precursor to all steroid hormones, including DHEA, testosterone, and estrogen. Chronic stress thus prioritizes survival-oriented cortisol production over reproductive and anabolic functions.