Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
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- Also Known As:
- ACTH
- Corticotropin

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
In conjunction with cortisol testing, to help diagnose adrenal gland problems and pituitary diseases such as Cushing syndrome, Cushing disease, adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease), adrenal tumors, and pituitary tumors
When To Get Tested?
When you have signs and symptoms associated with excess or deficient cortisol production; when your health care provider suspects that you have a hormone imbalance that could be caused by a problem with your pituitary or adrenal glands
Sample Required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm
Test Preparation Needed?
The health care practitioner may request that you fast overnight before testing. Blood is typically drawn in the morning, about 8 a.m.
You may be able to find your test results on your laboratory’s website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Testing.com. You may have been directed here by your lab’s website in order to provide you with background information about the test(s) you had performed. You will need to return to your lab’s website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.
Testing.com is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.
The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.
Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.
While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
What is being tested?
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is a hormone that stimulates the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that is important for regulating glucose, protein, and lipid metabolism, suppressing the immune system’s response, and helping to maintain blood pressure. This test measures the amount of ACTH in the blood.
ACTH is produced by the pituitary gland. Located below the brain in the center of the head, the pituitary gland is part of the endocrine system, a network of glands that work together to produce hormones that act on organs, tissues, and other glands to regulate systems throughout the body.
Normally, ACTH levels increase when cortisol is low and fall when cortisol is high. In response to a fall in the blood cortisol level, the hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). This stimulates the production of ACTH by the pituitary, which in turn stimulates the production of cortisol by the adrenal glands, small organs located at the top of each kidney. To make the appropriate amounts of cortisol, the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands must be functioning properly.
Conditions that affect the hypothalamus, pituitary, or adrenal glands can interfere with regulating ACTH and cortisol production, increasing or decreasing how much of the hormones the glands produce. This can cause signs and symptoms associated with an excess or deficiency of cortisol. Conditions that affect ACTH include Cushing disease, adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease), and hypopituitarism. Some tumors found outside of the pituitary in locations such as the lungs can also increase cortisol concentrations by producing ACTH.
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is drawn by needle from a vein in the arm.
Is any test preparation needed to ensure the quality of the sample?
The health care practitioner may request that you fast overnight before testing. Blood is typically drawn in the morning, about 8 a.m.
Common Questions
View Sources
Sources Used in Current Review
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(2016 February 18). Practical Guidance on Primary Adrenal Insufficiency. American Association for Clinical Chemistry. Available online at https://www.aacc.org/publications/cln/cln-stat/2016/february/18/practical-guidance-on-primary-adrenal-insufficiency. Accessed October 2016.
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