cortisol; follicular; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis; luteal; menstrual cycle

Higher Circulating Cortisol in the Follicular vs. Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis investigated how levels of the stress hormone cortisol vary across the menstrual cycle in healthy women. By synthesizing data from multiple high-quality studies, researchers found that cortisol levels…