(Source: UCLA - University of California - Los Angeles) Before women even become pregnant, their biological profile may predict a lower-birthweight baby, a UCLA-led research team reports. Most people have a high level of cortisol - a hormone the body releases in response to stressful events (and also at other times) - when they get out of bed in the morning, and that level declines throughout the day. In some people, however, cortisol levels are low in the morning and decrease by a smaller-than-normal amount during the day. This pattern has been associated with progression of a variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis and cancer, as well as chronic stress and a history of trauma. The...
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