title: Relationship between cortisol, life events and metabolic syndrome in men.
abstract: Psychological factors and stressful life events (LE) are considered to play a role in the onset of the metabolic syndrome (MS). We tested the association between LE and cortisol, a marker of chronic stress, with the risk of developing MS and their interaction. From a total number of 2906 men who completed a screening for the early detection of prostate cancer, 149 healthy men (mean ± SD age, 58.6 ± 7.7 years) were included in this study. Participants were assessed by the Holmes and Rahe questionnaire about their experience of LE during the previous 1-5 years. MS was diagnosed according to National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Serum cortisol was measured at 08:00-09:00 h. Participants with MS (IDF criteria) reported significantly more past LE (p = 0.009) and greater summed weight of LE (p = 0.049) than those without MS. Furthermore, LE interacted with cortisol in relation to MS: in men with increased serum cortisol levels ( ≥ 13.7 μg/dl), number of LE significantly predicted MS-status (relative risk (RR) = 1.16, p = 0.03), whereas in men with low cortisol, LE were unrelated to MS (p = 0.52). We conclude that LE were significantly more prevalent in men with the MS than without the MS, according to IDF criteria, independent of the effects of age and body mass index, especially in men with increased serum cortisol levels.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biochemistry Department, INFIBIOC, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Bibiana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fabre
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grosman
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nolazco
authors.forename: Nahuel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernandez Machulsky
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mesch
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schreier
authors.forename: Yori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gidron
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008016:Life Change Events; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000378:metabolism; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D006854:Hydrocortisone