A hormone (see corticosteroid), produced by the adrenal glands, that promotes the synthesis and storage of glucose and is therefore important in the normal response to stress, suppresses or prevents inflammation, and regulates deposition of fat in the body. Synthesis and release of cortisol is stimulated by ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone), which is itself regulated by corticotrophin-releasing hormone. The cortisol response is slower than the more immediate stress response triggered by adrenaline and the nervous system, but it lasts longer. Exposure to chronic stress may reduce the ability to ‘turn off’ the cortisol response, which involves negative feedback by cortisol on ACTH-secreting cells and on the hippocampus in the brain. Cortisol is used as treatment for various allergies and for rheumatic fever, certain skin conditions, and adrenal failure (Addison’s disease).