BLOOD TEST · SMART CARE POLYCLINIC, DEIRA
Cortisol explained
The body's stress hormone, measured in the morning when it is naturally highest.
Order it on its own, or build your own blood test profile — 4 or more tests save up to 30–50%.
What the Cortisol test measures
Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands and helps control blood sugar, blood pressure and the response to stress. It follows a daily rhythm, highest on waking and lowest at night, so the time of the sample is part of the result.
What the result tells you
Low in the morning
Can point to the adrenal glands not making enough, which explains tiredness, dizziness and weight loss and needs follow-up.
High
Stress, poor sleep and illness raise it; persistently high levels with weight gain and high blood pressure are investigated further.
One result is a snapshot
A single unusual result is usually confirmed with a more specific test before conclusions are drawn.
How to prepare
- Fasting
- Not required
- Best time
- Morning, ideally between 7am and 9am
- Avoid before
- Steroid creams, inhalers or tablets on the morning of the test, unless told otherwise
What can move the result
A result outside the usual range does not on its own mean something is wrong. These are the everyday explanations a doctor considers first.
Packages that include it
Frequently asked questions
Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands and helps control blood sugar, blood pressure and the response to stress. It follows a daily rhythm, highest on waking and lowest at night, so the time of the sample is part of the result. Low in the morning: Can point to the adrenal glands not making enough, which explains tiredness, dizziness and weight loss and needs follow-up.
Fasting: Not required. Best time: Morning, ideally between 7am and 9am. Avoid beforehand: Steroid creams, inhalers or tablets on the morning of the test, unless told otherwise.
Commonly: the time of day; steroid medicines, including inhalers and creams; hormonal contraception; acute illness, stress and poor sleep. A single result is not a diagnosis. Values are read against the laboratory's own reference range and alongside your history, your symptoms and the rest of the panel — which is why every package includes a doctor to go through them with you.
At Smart Care Polyclinic, 29 Doha Centre, Al Maktoum Rd, Deira, Dubai. It is included in the Stress Burnout, the Hormonal Panel — Female, the Hormonal Panel — Male, or it can be ordered on its own. Walk in during opening hours or call +971 (0)4 379 3562.
Sources
Written from current guidance and reviewed 18 October 2026.
- Cortisol testMedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
- Adrenal insufficiencyEndocrine Society