title: [Salivary cortisol as an indicator of physological stress in children and adults; a systematic review].
abstract: Salivary cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and secreted into saliva when persons are under stress. High levels of cortisol in saliva can be produced by many different factors, including obesity and certain psychological disorders. The articles selected for inclusion in this review were identified using Google Scholar and Medline, and this search obtained a total of 57 items. The validity of these studies was established according to the degree of evidence presented, by citations and by their applicability to the healthcare context in Spain. Specifically, this review takes into consideration studies of salivary cortisol and stress in children and adults, and those examining the relation between high levels of salivary cortisol and other disorders such as anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, social phobia or emotional deprivation. These studies show that salivary cortisol is a clear indicator of stress in both children and adults. High levels of this hormone in saliva are associated with the following main consequences: reduced immune function, affecting healing and thus prolonging recovery time; delayed growth in children; increased blood pressure and heart rate in both children and adults.
authors.affiliation: PhD. Departamento de Enfermería. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Granada. Hospital Clínico San Cecilio de Granada (España).. mariajaguilar@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aguilar Cordero
authors.affiliation: BsC Departamento de Enfermería. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Granada (España).. antoniosl@ugr.es.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sánchez López
authors.affiliation: PhD. Grupo de Investigación CTS 367. Plan Andaluz de Investigación. Junta de Andalucía (España). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de Cienfuegos (Cuba).. normamur@jagua.cfg.sld.cu.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mur Villar
authors.affiliation: PhD. Departamento de Enfermería. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Granada (España).. igarcia@ugr.es.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García García
authors.affiliation: BsC. Hospital Materno Infantil. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario "Virgen de las Nieves". Granada (España).. mariaa.rodriguez.lopez.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez López
authors.affiliation: Bsc. Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y el Deporte. Universidad de Granada (España).. a.ortegon@outlook.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortegón Piñero
authors.affiliation: PhD. Universidad Miguel Hernández. Alicante (España).. ernesto.cortes@umh.es.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cortés Castell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone