Low Cortisol Levels Increase Depression Risk in Bipolar Patients

Though cortisol, otherwise known as the "stress hormone," can be related to unhappiness and potential weight gain, for some, higher levels may be beneficial. A recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that low levels of the stress hormone doubled bipolar patients risk of depression.

"In bipolar depression the stress system is often activated, which means that the affected individuals have elevated cortisol levels in the blood. We have now been able to show that both over- and underactivity in the stress system, with corresponding elevated or reduced cortisol levels, can impair mental health in terms of depression and poor quality of life in these patients," said Martin Maripuu, a PhD student at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry Unit Umeå University and physician at the psychiatric clinic, Östersund Hospital, in a news release.

For the study, which examined 145 patients who suffered from bipolar disorder as well as 145 people in a control group, researchers examined participants' cortisol levels and their effects on feeling. They found that elevated cortisol levels in bipolar patients actually decreased their risk of depression.

On the other hand, low quality of life was six times more common in patients with lower cortisol levels when compared to those with higher ones, who were five times more common to describe a low quality level of life.

"These are important results that in the future could contribute to a more personally tailored medical treatment of bipolar disorder. The  results may also ultimately lead to the development of new drugs that work by normalizing the stress system and cortisol levels," Maripuu added, according to the news release.