Adrenal Stress Index™ Introduction

Why Evaluate the Adrenals? Three Compelling Reasons: The conceptual and practical reasons for having the Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) panel performed are simple and easy to understand.

1. All living creatures are subject to stressors of internal and external origins. Also, all living creatures respond to stressors. When they stop responding, they are usually dead. Humans are no exception.
2. The human stress response is a well defined series of reactions of the tissues, organs and organ systems. Many aspects are quantifiable. Therefore, through measurements we can learn to modify and manage the stress response intelligently.
3. The basal stress responses of the human demonstrate a predictable change in values over a 24 hour period, i.e. they are rhythmic with a diurnal variation; high morning low night values.

Thus it is not sufficient to measure a response at one point in time, because it is not reflective of the entire rhythm. Multiple assessments are more realistic. In order to obtain a higher fidelity picture of the human stress response, Diagnos-Techs designed the Adrenal Stress Index panel in 1989. Since then, the test has been made a routine and user friendly tool for the doctor and patient alike.

The outcome of Chronic Stress can be summarized in three points:

1. Resetting the adrenal cortisol output to a higher set point. In the long run, this increase renders the person more catabolic. The increased output is maintained in the absence of apparent stressors.
2. Resetting the DHEA output to a lower setpoint. This reduces the proanabolic and antiglucocorticoid activity of DHEA that antagonizes the cortisol effect. Therefore, DHEA reduction in the face of high cortisol renders the person more catabolic.
3. Reduction in brain sensitivity to cortisol. This is due to the resistance the hypothalmus develops in response to prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol. Other brain structures, i.e. the hippocampal cells, actually die from excess cortisol which leads to a learning/recall impairment.