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Glucocorticoid Elevation

Meaning

Glucocorticoid elevation refers to a clinically significant and sustained increase in the circulating levels of glucocorticoid hormones, primarily cortisol, often resulting from chronic psychological stress, pituitary dysfunction, or exogenous administration. Sustained elevation of these powerful stress hormones has profound systemic consequences, including significant disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, suppression of the immune system, and detrimental effects on metabolic and gonadal function. This state of chronic hypercortisolemia is a major contributor to metabolic syndrome and widespread hormonal imbalance.