Relationship between hair cortisol concentrations and depressive symptoms in patients with coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
Concentrations of cortisol in hair, a novel marker of longer-term cortisol status, were compared in depressed versus nondepressed patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
20 mg hair samples of 3 cm length were collected from 121 patients attending a cardiac rehabilitation program, 34 of whom suffered from depressive symptoms.


RESULTS
Controlling for age, gender, coronary artery bypass grafting, history of depression, and time since most recent acute coronary syndrome, cortisol concentrations (P = 0.162) did not predict severity of depression. Younger age (P = 0.003) was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Perceived stress was not associated with long-term cortisol concentrations (P = 0.161).


CONCLUSIONS
Cortisol concentrations in hair do not predict depressive symptoms in CAD patients attending cardiac rehabilitation.
Dowlati
Yekta
Y
Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada.
Herrmann
Nathan
N
Swardfager
Walter
W
Thomson
Steven
S
Oh
Paul I
PI
Van Uum
Stan
S
Koren
Gideon
G
Lanctôt
Krista L
KL