Research

Hormonal

In severely obese nondiabetic males, a decrease in the serum cortisol-to-cortisone (F/E) ratio following significant weight loss is independently associated with a reduction in systolic blood pressure.

For severely obese men, losing significant weight (15% or more) through a structured program not only lowers blood pressure but also shifts how the body processes cortisol. This shift, measured by the cortisol-to-cortisone ratio, is a key driver of that blood pressure improvement. Monitoring this metabolic change might help predict who benefits most from weight loss interventions for hypertension.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Change in the F/E ratio independently predicted change in SBP (p = 0.036).
James Brian Byrd et al. · Cardiorenal Medicine · 2015

Why this rating

The study is observational with a small sample size (n=43) and limitations regarding selection bias and medication use, though the statistical association is significant.

Source

Serum Cortisol-to-Cortisone Ratio and Blood Pressure in Severe Obesity before and after Weight Loss

James Brian Byrd et al. · Cardiorenal Medicine · 2015

DOI 10.1159/000438462

cohort · n=43Cited 13×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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