title: Associations of salivary cortisol levels with metabolic syndrome and its components: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior research has identified associations between social-environmental factors and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. The physiological mechanisms underlying these associations are not fully understood, but alterations in activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a stress-responsive biological system, have been hypothesized to play a role.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to determine whether MetS diagnosis and specific clusters of MetS components (waist circumference, high-density lipoproteins, glucose, and blood pressure) are associated with cortisol levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted cross-sectional analyses of data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study in the general community.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a population-based sample of 726 adults (ages 48 to 89 yr) who do not have clinical diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were no interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cortisol awakening response, cortisol decline across the waking day, and total cortisol output were analyzed (using 18 timed measures of salivary cortisol over 3 d).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, we found little evidence that the presence of MetS or its components is related to cortisol output or patterns. Contrary to expectation, the presence of MetS was associated with lower rather than higher area under the curve, and no consistent pattern was observed when MetS components or subsets of components were examined in relation to cortisol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings do not support the hypothesis that differences in level or diurnal pattern of salivary cortisol output are associated with MetS among persons without clinical diabetes.
authors: Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. amydes@umich.edu
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: DeSantis
authors: A V
authors: AV
authors: DiezRoux
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Hajat
authors: S H
authors: SH
authors: Golden
authors: N S
authors: NS
authors: Jenny
authors: B N
authors: BN
authors: Sanchez
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Shea
authors: T E
authors: TE
authors: Seeman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D006854:Hydrocortisone