Stress Cortisol Test

It tests one biomarker only:

• Cortisol (the body's primary stress hormone) measured from a finger-prick blood sample collected shortly after waking.

A single morning cortisol:

• Can identify markedly high or low cortisol levels.
• Does not diagnose chronic stress.
• Does not assess the normal daily cortisol rhythm.
• Is influenced by sleep, exercise, illness, shift work, medications (especially steroids), alcohol, and acute stress on the day of testing.