Skip to main content

Cortisol Response Normalization

Meaning

Cortisol Response Normalization is the clinical objective of re-establishing a healthy, adaptive, and transient pattern of cortisol secretion and subsequent clearance in response to psychological or physiological stress. This state signifies that the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is functioning with optimal efficiency. A normalized response is characterized by a sufficient, yet not excessive, peak in cortisol release followed by a rapid, complete return to baseline levels once the stressor is removed. Achieving this is vital for preventing the systemic damage associated with chronic stress and hypercortisolemia.