Our world is in distress. The recent COVID19 pandemic has been
merciless in wreaking havoc in all of our lives from financial strain to
serious health complications and even death. While medicine scrambles to
understand this deadly virus, COVID19 continues to have far reaching, and
sometimes unexpected, effects on our health and well-being.
One of the unexpected effects of COVID19 has been on adrenal function. After all COVID19 is a respiratory infection.
How would that affect the adrenal glands?
We have two adrenal glands with one located on the top of each kidney. These extremely important glands are a part of the endocrine system and produce many different hormones that play diverse roles in the body like, androgens (sex hormones), cortisol, and adrenaline. Improperly functioning adrenal glands have huge detrimental effects to overall health.
Does a COVID19 infection interact with adrenal function? Yes and in very interesting ways!
For example, studies show that men are more susceptible to a COVID19 infection than women [1]. One of the reasons for this may be due to the predominantly male sex hormones, androgens. For example, multiple studies have looked at male pattern baldness and the correlation with a COVID19 infection. These studies found that the majority of patients admitted to the hospital were men with male pattern baldness [2,3].
Androgens are known to cause male pattern baldness by shortening the hair growth cycle and also causing the growth of thinner shorter strands when at the beginning of each hair growth cycle [4].
Research also shows that men are not only more susceptible to being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus but they usually get sicker with a COVID19 infection because of androgens, like testosterone, that help to make it easier for the virus get inside of the body’s cells [5].
COVID19 doesn’t just interact with the adrenal gland through androgens. Cortisol, also secreted by the adrenals, seems to play a factor in a COVID19 infection as well.
Cortisol has many different functions in the body like blood sugar regulation and maintaining metabolism, but one of the most important functions of cortisol is to reduce inflammation. An infection, such as a viral infection, usually increases inflammation in the body therefore causing more cortisol to be released to reduce that inflammation. Research shows that those who had elevated cortisol levels during a COVID19 infection were also more likely to die [6].
What is interesting about this finding is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for a COVID19 infection, was previously thought to lower cortisol secretion by causing the body to attack the hormone ACTH, much like the SARS-CoV virus responsible for the early 2000s SARS outbreak [7]. Adrenocorticotropic hormone, also called ACTH, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that causes the adrenals to produce and release more cortisol.
It seems that COVID19 also has an unexpected effect on cortisol because of the extreme amount of stress that an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus puts on the body. Cortisol, while being a great anti inflammatory, is widely known as the “stress hormone.”
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it is released during high levels of stress. When you are under a lot of stress, whether psychological, like impending job loss, or physical like a COVID19 infection, cortisol is released. It helps the body to cope with the stress by boosting your energy, helping to increase heart rate and blood pressure, while at the same time taking away energy from processes deemed unnecessary at the time, like digestion and reproduction.
High levels of cortisol, while beneficial to deal with short term stress, can wreak havoc on the body over a long while, especially in the face of a COVID19 infection.
For example, high cortisol levels have also been linked to a condition called telogen effluvium, hair loss caused by extreme stress [8]. Unfortunately many COVID19 survivors are coming forward with stories of losing large amounts of hair after battling COVID19 for months [9].
Clearly, a COVID19 infection has a huge detrimental effect on the adrenal glands, which affects the whole body. How can you know if your adrenal glands are functioning optimally? While symptoms might indicate that your adrenals aren’t functioning at their best, the most reliable way to know is through testing.
AYUMETRIX offers innovative, high quality, accurate, and affordable in home adrenal testing to monitor your adrenal health. With a number of thorough and dedicated lab panels specifically for men, women, and adrenal health, AYUMETRIX is the leader in hormone testing. A blood sample can be conveniently collected at home through a simple finger prick and sent to the lab for analysis reducing any stress associated with having to leave the safety of your home to get a blood draw at a lab or your doctor’s office.
Keeping a careful watch over your adrenal status, especially during high stress times, like the COVID19 crisis, can help to keep your body functioning optimally.
For more information about the importance of adrenal health, the many diverse and important roles the adrenal glands play in keeping you healthy, and how adrenal hormone imbalances can affect health and well-being please visit ayumetrix.com or contact info@ayumetrix.com
References
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809033/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7242206/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32333494/
4. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/androgenetic-alopecia#genes
5. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1038
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7302794/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32346813/
8. https://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961616P1001X