How Cortisol appears on your report
Look for Morning Cortisol. The result is normally shown in nmol/L, next to the reference interval used by the laboratory that ran the test.
Note the collection date before you compare it with anything, along with the context that matters for this marker: time of day, sleep, illness, stress, strenuous exercise, steroid medicines and hormonal contraception can affect it.
Cortisol range in Australia
Vector tracks Cortisol against an optimal range of 250–500 nmol/L. Australia has no nationally harmonised reference interval for this marker, so the interval printed on your report varies with the laboratory and the assay it used.
Vector’s optimal range is the band the app tracks against and the one printed in the doctor report. Why the two differ.
What to read alongside Cortisol
A single marker rarely explains itself. These results are commonly interpreted together with Cortisol, and Vector keeps them within reach of each other as your record grows.
Tracking Cortisol over time
One Cortisol result is a single point. Import the report into Vector, check the extracted value, unit and collection date, and it becomes the start of a series instead — with each later report adding a dated point you can actually compare against.
Further reading
Cortisol is read the same way every other result on the report is. These two guides cover that method rather than this marker:
- How to read an Australian pathology report — A practical guide to dates, units, reference intervals and the context that belongs beside an Australian pathology result.
- Pathology report reference ranges: what they mean — Understand the laboratory interval, Australian guidance and the product context Vector adds to a result over time.
Common questions
What is a normal Cortisol range in Australia?
Australia has no nationally harmonised reference interval for Cortisol, so the range printed on your report varies with the laboratory and the assay it used — always read your result against the interval beside it. Vector tracks Cortisol against an optimal range of 250–500 nmol/L, which is deliberately tighter than a population reference interval.
What is the optimal Cortisol level?
Vector treats 250–500 nmol/L as the optimal range for Cortisol. An optimal range is a target the app tracks against, not a clinical threshold, and it can differ from the interval your laboratory prints.
What unit is Cortisol reported in on Australian pathology reports?
Cortisol is usually reported in nmol/L on Australian pathology reports. The performing laboratory prints a reference interval in the same unit beside the result, and that interval is the one that governs your individual result.
What can change your Cortisol result?
Time of day, sleep, illness, stress, strenuous exercise, steroid medicines and hormonal contraception can affect it.
Sources
- RCPA Manual: CortisolAustralian pathology reference for this test and related result context.
- Healthdirect: hormone testsGeneral consumer context for hormone testing and clinical follow-up.
Published 2 August 2026 · Updated 3 August 2026 · Author Vector