May 2016 in “Endocrine Abstracts” Proximal hair cortisol is a reliable tool for diagnosing Cushing's Syndrome.
This study found low concordance between distal and proximal hair cortisol concentrations during early pregnancy, particularly when measured with different assay methods.
30 citations
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July 2023 in “Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)” In this study, researchers developed an LC-MS/MS method to accurately quantify cortisone and cortisol levels in human scalp hair, finding that concentrations decrease predictably along the hair shaft, which could assist in identifying abnormal glucocorticoid exposure.
23 citations
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August 2017 in “Scientific Reports” Darker hair may lead to higher cortisol readings, suggesting a need to adjust for hair color in studies.
501 citations
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October 2008 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” This study suggests that cortisol measured in human hair can effectively reflect increased production for up to six months, but its retrospective accuracy may be limited due to rapid decline in levels.