There is emerging evidence that cortisol plays a significantly greater role in human
hypertension than previously thought. Apart from the well recognized role of cortisol in the
hypertension of Cushing's syndrome, local cortisol excess has been recognized as
responsible for rare forms of hypertension such as apparent mineralocorticoid excess and
licorice abuse and more recently implicated in the hypertension of chronic renal failure,
hypertension related to low birth weight and essential hypertension. Although cortisol …