Let's Talk About Our Adrenal Stress Index: Seeking the Causes of Fatigue, Stress and Anxiety

Constant hyperstimulation of the adrenal glands ultimately results in adrenal exhaustion. This is the result of being in a prolonged state of stress.

Referencing: DiagnosTechs™, Inc.

Are you experiencing chronic stress, insomnia, anxiety and fatigue? Having trouble losing weight? Our ASI Panel can help you discover the causes, by measuring cortisol and five other hormones through saliva over 24 hours. ​

What tests are included in the ASI Panel?
Cortisol

• Evaluates stress response

Insulin

• Investigates blood sugar control and insulin resistance

DHEA/DHEA-S

• Determines how other hormones may be affected by stress

Total secretory IgA (sIgA)

• Evaluates the toll of stress on immunity

17-OH Progesterone

• Determines underlying causes of abnormal cortisol levels

Wheat gluten sIgA

• Identifies immune response to gluten

The Adrenal Stress Index can be helpful if you experience:

• Chronic stress and stress-related health conditions
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Anxiety or depression
• Irritability or mood swings
• Insomnia, sleep disturbances or difficulty waking
• Difficulty losing weight
• Poor memory or difficulty retaining information
• Muscle and joint pain or weakness
• Easy bruising or excessive stretch marks
• Hypertension

Did you know saliva is the best method for measuring free, active levels of cortisol? 

© 2004 - BioHealth Diagnostics

Functions influenced by cortisol levels:

Literally the entire body.

Energy Production
Abnormal adrenal function can alter the ability of cells to produce energy for the activities of daily life. People who have a hard time rising in the morning, or who suffer from low energy throughout the day, often have abnormal adrenal rhythms and poor blood sugar regulation.
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The maintenance of a stable blood sugar level depends on food choice, lifestyle, adrenal function, and insulin activity. The Adrenal Stress Index panel measures stress hormones and insulin, to help clarify the causes of fatigue, cravings, and obesity.

Immune System Function
​Various immune cells (white blood cells) cycle in and out of the spleen and bone marrow. The immune system trafficking follows the cortisol cycle. If the cycle is disrupted, especially at night, then the immune system is adversely affected. Short and long-term stress is known to suppress the immune response in the lungs, throat, urinary tract, and intestines. With lowered levels of mucosal antibodies (secretory IgA), our resistance to infection is reduced and allergic reactions may increase.

Skin Integrity
Human skin regenerates mostly during the night. With higher night cortisol values, less skin regeneration takes place. Therefore a normal cortisol rhythm is essential for optimal skin health.

Muscle and Joint Function
​Abnormal adrenal rhythms are known to compromise tissue healing. Reduced tissue repair and increased tissue breakdown can lead to muscle and joint wasting with chronic pain.

Bone Health
​The adrenal rhythm determines how well we build bone. If the night and morning cortisol levels are elevated, our bones do not rebuild well, and we are more prone to osteoporosis. Stress is the enemy of the bones. In postmenopausal women, the effect of stress worsens due to the naturally lower levels of female hormones.

Allergies/Autoimmune Disorders
​More than fifty years ago, Dr. Jefferies (author of Safe Uses of Cortisol) discovered that patients with environmentally triggered allergies and autoimmune diseases dramatically improved when given cortisol for other purposes. More recently, German researchers reported that disruption of the adrenal axis and cytokine relationships lead to predisposition and aggravation of autoimmune diseases.
The ASI panel can help identify patients with autoimmune diseases and adrenal problems who may improve with cortisol support.

Sleep Quality
​The ability to enter REM sleep cycles and to experience regenerative sleep are interrupted by high cortisol values at night and in the morning. Chronic lack of REM sleep can reduce a person’s mental vitality, vigor, and induce depression.

Thyroid Function
​The level of cortisol at the cell level controls thyroid hormone production. Often, hypothyroid symptoms such as fatigue and low body temperature are due to an adrenal maladaptation.

Blood Sugar Regulation
​Chronic hypoglycemia can impair normal adrenal function by repetitive overstimulation of cortisol production. Recurring exposure to high cortisol will impair insulin activity and invariably lead to insulin resistance and beta-cell exhaustion (diabetes).
The ASI panel investigates the insulin-cortisol relationship under real-life conditions to allow targeted and meaningful interventions. This panel is useful in the following clinical situations: rapid weight gain and obesity, imbalanced blood lipids, sugar blues, early diabetes, and associated emotional disturbances.

Brain Function and Emotional Health
​Several recent publications report a hyperactive HPA axis in depressed patients. Elevated midnight salivary cortisol is now considered one of the best tests in diagnosing endogenous depression. Other anomalies in cortisol rhythm usually accompany the midnight elevation. On the other hand, cortisol elevations and rhythm disruptions throughout the day are typical of attention deficit disorders (ADD).
The anomalous cortisol findings in depression and ADD can be diagnosed successfully with the ASI panel. Subsequent interventions to rectify specific cortisol elevations (during the day or night) are usually effective when applied under proper supervision.

This panel is done from the convenience of your home! You don't have to be poked or prodded, you just simply use your saliva. 

Let's get back to health,
Dr. Taryn

Referencing: DiagnosTechs™, Inc.