Researchers Develop New At-Home Cortisol Test to Measure Stress

While stress is a common experience, according to researchers, chronic exposure can lead to significant health problems, including depression and cognitive decline. Monitoring stress levels, particularly through biomarkers like cortisol, could play a crucial role in preventing such outcomes.

Recent research, published in the journal Talanta, highlights a promising development in the field of stress management. A team of scientists from China and the UK has introduced an improved method for detecting cortisol levels in the blood, which could make home-based stress monitoring more accessible.

The study, led by Tong Ji, a PhD student and senior technician at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), focuses on the development of a point-of-care testing device that offers greater accuracy and stability in measuring cortisol, a key indicator of stress.

"A cost-effective, easily reproducible, and easy-to-use point-of-care testing device that accurately measures cortisol levels has long been sought,” explained Ji. “It could make a huge difference to an appropriate and speedy diagnosis of high cortisol levels, drastically improving people's lives."

According to the study, existing devices often rely on electrodes that struggle to maintain stability under varying conditions, such as shifts in pH and temperature. This instability shortens their lifespan and complicates commercial production.

"Current cortisol detectors have reference electrodes with a silver layer that is easily oxidized and unstable in electrochemical measurements," said Ji. "In this study, we used iridium oxide nanoparticles to cover the silver layer. This modification improves the stability, sensitivity and reproducibility of cortisol detection in point-of-care devices."

Qiuchen Dong, PhD, an assistant professor at XJTLU and corresponding author of the study, noted that this is the first time iridium oxide has been used in this context. “Our team have produced a simple, low-cost cortisol measuring device that detects cortisol molecules at a concentration 3,000 times lower than the normal range of cortisol in our blood,” he explained. “This makes our device sensitive enough for commercial use."

Moreover, the modified electrodes improve the selectivity of the testing process. The authors explained that current devices struggle to differentiate between cortisol and other hormones, such as progesterone and testosterone, due to their structural similarities. “Our iridium oxide-modified electrode is selective enough to distinguish the different hormones and helps to solve this issue,” said Graham Dawson, PhD, an associate professor at XJTLU and co-author of the study.

For integrative practitioners, if accurate, this new technology could be particularly valuable in personalized treatment plans, where understanding the role of stress in a patient's overall health is critical. While the technology is still in the research phase, its development marks a significant step forward in the field of stress management and offers a glimpse into the future of accessible health monitoring tools.