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Reference: Clow, A., Hucklebridge, F., & Thorn, L. (2010). The cortisol awakening response: More than a measure of HPA axis function. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 97-103.
3. Chronic stress: Chronic stress can lead to persistently elevated cortisol levels, which may contribute to health problems such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and mental health disorders (Chrousos, 2009). Reference: Chrousos, G. P. (2009). Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 5(7), 374-381.
4. Adrenal function: Abnormal cortisol levels can also indicate adrenal dysfunction, such as Addison's disease or Cushing's syndrome. Assessing cortisol levels can help diagnose these conditions (Nieman, 2013). Reference: Nieman, L. K. (2013). Cushing's syndrome: Update on signs, symptoms and biochemical screening. European Journal of Endocrinology, 169(5), R47-R53.
5. Effectiveness of stress-management strategies: Measuring cortisol levels can help evaluate the effectiveness of stress-management interventions in reducing stress levels (Pascoe, Thompson, & Ski, 2017). Reference: Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., & Ski, C. F. (2017). Yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and stress-related physiological measures: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 86, 152-168.
In summary, measuring cortisol levels can provide valuable information about an individual's stress levels, help diagnose stress-related disorders or adrenal dysfunction, and inform appropriate interventions to manage stress and improve overall health.
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