Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones produced in the adrenal gland that play a role in glucose metabolism, fetal development, and the body’s response to inflammation. They can be administered synthetically to treat medical conditions, but excessive or low levels can lead to serious health problems. Glucocorticoids are catabolic steroids that break things down and can attach to the glucocorticoid receptor found in nearly every cell in the body.
A glucocorticoid is a type of steroid hormone that is produced in the cortex of the adrenal gland: cortisol is probably the best known and most common example of a glucocorticoid. These hormones have a number of important functions in the body and can also be administered in synthetic form to treat specific medical conditions. Excessive levels of glucocorticoids cause a condition called hyperadrenocorticism, while low levels are known as hypoadrenocorticism. Both conditions require medical attention, as they can lead to serious health problems including permanent damage or death.
As the inclusion of “gluco-” in the name of this group of hormones suggests, glucocorticoids are involved in glucose metabolism. When these hormones were first discovered, researchers first noted their role in glucose metabolism, later realizing that a glucocorticoid may also be involved in the metabolism of other substances in the body. Glucocorticoids also play a role in fetal development and the body’s response to inflammation.
Inflammations occur when the immune system responds to a threat, but sometimes the inflammation persists even after the threat has been neutralized. This is where glucocorticoids come in, as they reach the site of inflammation and destroy overactive immune system cells to halt inflammation. This is why glucocorticoids are often prescribed to people suffering from inflammation.
When people think of “steroids,” they often visualize the anabolic steroids that have caused such controversy in the athletic community. Glucocorticoids are actually catabolic steroids, which means they’re designed to break things down, rather than build them up. Glucocorticoids can be distinguished from other types of steroid hormones because they attach to the glucocorticoid receptor, a structure found in nearly every cell that allows a glucocorticoid to interact directly with a cell anywhere in the body.
An excess of glucocorticoids can occur when the adrenal gland begins to produce them in excess or when someone is taking too many prescribed glucocorticoid medications. Low levels can occur when someone is battling an infection or inflammation. Impaired levels of glucocorticoids in the body can cause a variety of symptoms, as changing levels wreak havoc on the metabolism. If levels are too low, they can be addressed by giving the drug glutocorticoid medications, while high levels may require adjustments to the patient’s medications or further medical interventions to address an overactive adrenal gland.
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