Cure8 research brief
This study suggests people with IBD have lower morning cortisol and a blunted cortisol awakening response, patterns that may be linked to systemic inflammation.
Altered stress-hormone rhythms could relate to fatigue, mood, or disease activity, so researchers and clinicians may find this relevant for understanding non-gastrointestinal aspects of IBD.
Adult patients with IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), IBD clinicians interested in systemic inflammation and HPA-axis function, and researchers studying biomarkers, stress physiology, or inflammation in IBD.
This cross-sectional case–control study measured salivary cortisol at awakening, 30–45 minutes later, and at bedtime in 100 patients with IBD (49 Crohn’s disease, 51 ulcerative colitis) and 78 matched healthy controls.
The authors report that people with IBD had lower awakening and early-morning cortisol levels and a blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR), while bedtime cortisol was similar to controls.
The study also examined links with inflammation: higher hs-CRP was associated with higher immediate-awakening cortisol but with a smaller morning rise (lower ΔCAR and AUCi), suggesting a relationship between systemic inflammation and altered morning HPA-axis dynamics.
These are cross-sectional associations and do not prove that inflammation causes the cortisol changes or vice versa. If you live with IBD, this paper adds to evidence that HPA-axis (stress-hormone) patterns differ in IBD and may relate to systemic inflammation.
It does not provide treatment recommendations or show that changing cortisol patterns will alter disease course. The findings come from a single-centre sample with timed salivary collections and adjusted analyses; further longitudinal work would be needed to determine causality and clinical implications.
Cross-sectional design: associations do not establish causality. The study used salivary cortisol sampling with timing criteria and adjusted analyses, but results come from one centre and require replication and longitudinal study to assess clinical relevance.
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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