wie kann man cortisol messen — can a DNA test help?

Cortisol is primarily measured via blood, saliva, urine, or hair samples – not through DNA tests. A DNA test can at best identify genetic variants related to the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (e.g., in the CRH or NR3C1 genes). However, these variants typically have small effect sizes and are insufficient to predict current cortisol levels. Measuring actual cortisol requires a laboratory analysis (e.g., salivary cortisol day curve, serum cortisol, or 24-hour urine). DNA tests can only provide supplementary hints about a possible genetic predisposition, but cannot offer a diagnosis or acute values. The evidence for the clinical use of such genetic markers is weak. If you want to determine your cortisol level, you should undergo a medical test and not rely on DNA analysis.