Have you ever wondered what happens inside your body when you are stressed or feel a lot of pressure? Our body has a little friend that we can't see that helps us during times like these. He is called ACTH. Today, we will talk about this ACTH.
What is ACTH?
Simply put, ACTH is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland. It plays a big role in how your body responds to stress . When ACTH is released, it signals your adrenal glands to produce cortisol, which we all know as the “stress hormone,” and a group of sex hormones called androgens.
Now you're probably wondering what these hormones are, right? Hormones are chemicals that coordinate various functions in your body. They're like messengers. These messages travel through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues. These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it.
Your pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base of your brain, just below the hypothalamus. It is part of your endocrine system. The pituitary gland has two parts: the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. Your anterior pituitary gland is what makes and releases ACTH.
What actually happens with ACTH?
The main function of ACTH is to stimulate your adrenal glands to release the hormone cortisol. Think of it like ACTH is like the commanding officer telling your adrenal glands to make cortisol.
Cortisol is a very important hormone that our bodies need. It affects almost every organ and tissue in the body. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone,” but it actually has many other important functions in our bodies.
Here are some important things about cortisol:
- You control how your body responds to stress .
- It helps control the way your body uses fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, that is, your metabolism .
- Inflammation , which means swelling and redness in various parts of the body, is reduced.
- Regulates blood pressure .
- Regulates blood sugar levels .
- It also helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle .
Not only this, ACTH does something else. That is, it stimulates the adrenal glands to release sex hormones called androgens. In addition, ACTH helps to make chemicals that stimulate the production of more hormones, such as adrenaline and noradrenaline.
How are ACTH levels controlled?
Your body's ACTH levels are controlled by a very interesting system. It's called a feedback system. It involves your hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, and some hormones. We call this entire system the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis . Sounds a bit complicated, doesn't it? But it's simple.
Imagine that your pituitary gland is connected to your hypothalamus by a small stalk of blood vessels and nerves. This is called the pituitary stalk. It is through this stalk that the hypothalamus talks to the pituitary gland and tells it to release certain hormones. Your hypothalamus is a part of your brain that controls things like blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and digestion.
The adrenal glands are two small, triangular glands located above your kidneys.
Now let's see how this feedback system that controls ACTH levels works:
- When your body's cortisol levels drop, your hypothalamus releases a hormone called Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone (CRH) .
- This CRH stimulates your anterior pituitary lobe to release ACTH.
- ACTH then stimulates your adrenal glands, especially the adrenal cortex, to release cortisol and androgens.
- When cortisol levels increase like this, it sends a signal back to the hypothalamus to lower CRH levels. And that's how the cycle is completed. It's like an 'on-off switch' .
Not only this, when you are stressed , that is, mentally stressed, ACTH production is stimulated and cortisol levels increase.
However, if there is a problem with your hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or adrenal glands, the balance of hormones involved in this process, namely ACTH, may be disrupted.
How to check ACTH levels?
A blood test is done to check your ACTH levels. This involves taking a small sample of blood from a vein in your arm.
Doctors often order a cortisol test along with an ACTH test to determine if there are problems with the pituitary gland or adrenal glands.
Also, doctors may sometimes do something called an ACTH stimulation test . This tests how well your adrenal glands respond to ACTH. This can also help diagnose problems with the pituitary and/or adrenal glands.
What is a normal ACTH level?
Like cortisol, the level of ACTH in your blood is usually highest in the early morning. It gradually decreases as the day goes on, reaching its lowest level around midnight. However, if you work the night shift and sleep at different times of the day, this pattern may change.
Therefore, ACTH tests usually require blood to be drawn in the morning. In general, the normal range for ACTH levels between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. is 7.2 to 63.3 picograms per milliliter (7.2 to 63.3 pg/mL) .
But remember one thing. These normal ranges can vary from lab to lab, from time to time, and from person to person. If you have an ACTH test, your doctor will be the one who will read your results and tell you whether or not further testing is needed.
What happens if ACTH levels increase?
If your ACTH levels are high, it's likely that your cortisol levels are also high. Because cortisol affects the body in many ways, you may experience the side effects of high cortisol rather than the symptoms of high ACTH. In some cases, when your adrenal glands are not producing enough cortisol, ACTH levels can increase. In those cases, you may experience the symptoms of low cortisol, not high ACTH.
There are several possible reasons for elevated ACTH levels:
- Cushing's disease: This is the most common cause of elevated ACTH levels. This is caused by a noncancerous tumor (adenoma) in the pituitary gland that produces too much ACTH. This then causes cortisol levels to increase. It is important to understand the difference between Cushing's disease and Cushing's syndrome . Cushing's disease is just one of many causes of Cushing's syndrome.
- Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone tumor: Very rarely, a tumor that develops outside your pituitary gland can release too much ACTH. Tumors that can produce ACTH in this way (although very rarely) include noncancerous carcinoid tumors of the lungs, islet cell tumors of the pancreas, medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, small cell tumors of the lung, and tumors of the thymus gland .
- Primary adrenal insufficiency: This condition occurs when your adrenal glands are damaged and unable to produce cortisol properly. Addison's disease is the most common cause of primary adrenal insufficiency. As a result, your pituitary gland releases more ACTH than it needs to stimulate the adrenal glands.
What happens if ACTH levels decrease?
If ACTH levels are low due to a problem with the pituitary gland, cortisol levels will usually also be low. However, if cortisol levels are high due to a problem with the adrenal gland, ACTH levels can be low.
There are several reasons why ACTH levels may be low:
- Cushing's syndrome: Cushing's syndrome, which can be caused by an adrenal gland tumor or by long-term use of corticosteroid medications for other conditions, can cause low ACTH levels. This is because your pituitary gland is unable to release ACTH normally due to excess cortisol.
- Hypopituitarism: This is a very rare condition. This is when your pituitary gland produces too little of one, several, or all of the hormones. ACTH is one of the hormones that can be affected. Any damage to your pituitary gland, such as a tumor, surgery, or radiation therapy, can cause hypopituitarism.
By now you probably understand that ACTH is essential for regulating your cortisol levels. If you are experiencing symptoms of high or low cortisol levels, such as weight gain or loss, high or low blood pressure, be sure to see your doctor. He or she can run cortisol and ACTH blood tests to determine whether your adrenal glands or pituitary gland are the cause of your symptoms.
So what are the things we need to remember?
ACTH is a very important hormone produced by the pituitary gland that helps control stress in our body.
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- This is what stimulates the adrenal glands to produce the "stress hormone" cortisol .
- Cortisol controls many things, such as our metabolism, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
- ACTH levels are controlled by a complex system involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands .
- Whether ACTH levels are increased or decreased, it can cause various health problems such as Cushing's disease and Addison's disease .
- If you have any symptoms in this regard, it is best to see a doctor without fear and seek advice.
` ACTH, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Cortisol, Pituitary gland, Adrenal glands, Hormones, Stress
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