What is Evening Cortisone And Why Does the Hormone Zoomer Test for It?

Evening adrenal glucocorticoid metabolite

Evening Cortisone is the inactive metabolite formed when the active stress hormone cortisol is converted by peripheral enzymes. Measuring evening cortisone gives insight into late-day glucocorticoid exposure and how effectively the body is clearing stress hormones, which relates to sleep-wake signaling and recovery.

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Evening Cortisone

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About Evening Cortisone

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About Evening Cortisone

Overview and History

Evening Cortisone is a steroid metabolite in the glucocorticoid family produced when active cortisol is oxidized by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes. Biochemically it reflects both adrenal output and peripheral metabolism rather than a primary secreted hormone. Historically cortisone measurements helped map cortisol metabolism and tissue-level activation. In late-day samples, cortisone provides a window into whether the normal evening decline in glucocorticoid signaling is occurring, which can influence sleep, energy regulation, and inflammatory balance.

Interpreting Highs and Lows

Higher evening cortisone may reflect greater late-day glucocorticoid exposure, slower clearance, or altered peripheral conversion, and can be seen alongside prolonged stress signaling into the evening. Lower evening cortisone may reflect reduced late-day cortisol exposure, faster clearance, or shifts in conversion enzymes or sampling timing. Any single cortisone result is most informative when interpreted with the full Hormone Zoomer profile—morning cortisol/CAR, other salivary timepoints, urinary metabolites, and clinical context—to distinguish timing, production, and clearance patterns.

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Evening Cortisone is included to capture late-day glucocorticoid exposure and metabolism. Paired with morning and daytime cortisol measures and urinary metabolites, it helps clinicians assess diurnal rhythm integrity, clearance efficiency, and stress-timing patterns to support more personalized interpretation.

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Evening Cortisone FAQs

What is Evening Cortisone and why is it important?

Evening Cortisone measures the amount of cortisol-derived metabolite present later in the day after the body converts active cortisol to an inactive form. Because cortisol normally falls toward evening, this measure helps show whether the body is winding down or still exposed to stress-hormone signaling. That pattern can affect sleep quality, evening energy, and recovery capacity.

What does it mean if my Evening Cortisone levels are low?

Low evening cortisone can suggest lower late-day glucocorticoid exposure, faster clearance, or differences in how tissues convert cortisol to cortisone. It may reflect a shifted or blunted late-day signal, but single low values can also result from timing, recent activity, or lab variability. Full interpretation requires comparison to morning CAR, other timepoint cortisols/cortisones, urinary metabolites, and symptoms.

What does it mean if my Evening Cortisone levels are high?

Higher evening cortisone suggests greater late-day glucocorticoid exposure or reduced clearance that can reflect prolonged stress signaling into the evening. Elevated values may be associated with difficulty winding down, disrupted sleep timing, or sustained metabolic effects, but their meaning depends on the full diurnal profile, other metabolites, and clinical context.

Why is Evening Cortisone included in the Hormone Zoomer?

Evening Cortisone provides a targeted late-day snapshot of glucocorticoid metabolism and clearance. When combined with morning CAR, daytime salivary cortisol, and urinary metabolites, it helps providers identify timing disruptions, clearance patterns, and stress-related shifts to guide more precise follow-up and individualized care planning.

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