Common mistakes around Cortisol Basis

Cortisol is a key stress hormone, and its measurement is often misinterpreted. Common mistakes: 1) Taking a single saliva or blood reading as a 'baseline' – cortisol follows a strong circadian rhythm (high in the morning, low at night); a single value is rarely meaningful without a daily profile. 2) Confusing free vs. total cortisol – saliva measures free cortisol, serum usually total cortisol. 3) Overinterpreting small deviations in consumer tests without clinical validation. 4) Ignoring confounders like acute stress, poor sleep, medications (e.g., corticosteroids, oral contraceptives). 5) Assuming a 'low' cortisol automatically means 'burnout' – adrenal insufficiency is rare and requires medical workup (e.g., ACTH stimulation test). Evidence for home cortisol baseline tests is weak; they may serve as screening but not diagnosis. Safety note: If adrenal disorder is suspected, seek medical evaluation.