Cross-Country Differences in Basal and Stress-Induced Cortisol Secretion in Older Adults

10.32920/14669148.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra J. Fiocco ◽

Juliana N. Souza-Talarico ◽

Pierrich Plusquellec ◽

Sonia J. Lupien ◽

Deborah Suchecki

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress System ◽

Inadequate Response ◽

Cortisol Secretion ◽

Biological Stress ◽

Country Differences ◽

Cross Country ◽

Cortisol Levels

Objective Several studies have emphasized the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and inadequate response of the biological stress system. However, other factors related to SES are rarely considered, such as cultural values, social norms, organization, language and communication skills, which raises the need to investigate cross-country differences in stress response. Although some studies have shown differences in cortisol levels between immigrants and natives, there is no cross-country evidence regarding cortisol levels in country-native elders. This is particularly important given the high prevalence of stress-related disorders across nations during aging. The current study examined basal diurnal and reactive cortisol levels in healthy older adults living in two different countries. Methods Salivary cortisol of 260 older adults from Canada and Brazil were nalyzed. Diurnal cortisol was measured in saliva samples collected at home throughout two working days at awakening, 30 min after waking, 1400 h, 1600 h and before bedtime. Cortisol reactivity was assessed in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in both populations. Results Our results showed that even under similar health status, psychological and cognitive characteristics, Brazilian elders exhibited higher basal and stress-induced cortisol secretion compared to the Canadian participants. Conclusion These findings suggest that country context may modulate cortisol secretion and could impact the population health.

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Genetic moderation of cortisol secretion in Holocaust survivors

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025411406859 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 79-84 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ayala Fridman ◽

Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽

Abraham Sagi-Schwartz ◽

Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg

Keyword(s):

Social Stress ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Holocaust Survivors ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Cortisol Secretion ◽

Cortisol Reactivity ◽

Diurnal Cortisol ◽

Deletion Variant ◽

Cortisol Levels

In the current study we tested whether ADRA2B moderates stress regulation of Holocaust survivors as indexed by their diurnal cortisol secretion and cortisol reactivity to a stressor. Salivary cortisol levels of 54 female Holocaust survivors and participants in the comparison group were assessed during a routine day and in response to a stress-evoking procedure (an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test [TSST]). ADRA2B did not moderate differences between Holocaust survivors and participants in the comparison group in terms of cortisol reactivity to the TSST. Holocaust survivors with the wildtype ADRA2B, however, displayed higher diurnal cortisol levels than did participants in the comparison group with the same genotype, whereas no difference was found between these groups in carriers of the deletion variant, previously associated with more reexperiencing of traumatic events. Carriers of the deletion variant might have been driven in the long run to resolve their vividly remembered experiences, and therefore currently show less stress dysregulation as evident from their cortisol levels.

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Cross-Country Differences in Basal and Stress-Induced Cortisol Secretion in Older Adults

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0105968 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. e105968 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Juliana N. Souza-Talarico ◽

Pierrich Plusquellec ◽

Sonia J. Lupien ◽

Alexandra Fiocco ◽

Deborah Suchecki

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cortisol Secretion ◽

Country Differences ◽

Cross Country

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Stress system dysfunction revealed by integrating reactivity of stress pathways to psychological stress in lean and overweight/obese men

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.00276.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sisitha Udara Jayasinghe ◽

Sarah Janet Hall ◽

Susan Jane Torres ◽

Anne Isabella Turner

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Systolic Blood Pressure ◽

Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽

Psychological Stress ◽

Hpa Axis ◽

Social Stress ◽

Blood Pressure Response ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Stress System

While the patterns of response within the sympatho-adrenal medullary (SAM) system and hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis are interesting and important in their own accord, the overall response to acute psychological stress involves reactivity of both pathways We tested the hypothesis that consideration of the integrated response of these pathways may reveal dysregulation of the stress systems that is not evident when considering either system alone. Age matched lean and overweight/obese men were subjected to a Trier Social Stress Test and reactivity of the SAM system (salivary alpha amylase, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) and the HPA axis (salivary cortisol) were measured. Relative reactivity of SAM system and HPA axis was calculated as the ratio between the measures from each pathway. While analysis of reactivity of individual stress pathways showed no evidence of dysfunction in overweight/obese compared with lean men, analysis of HPA/SAM reactivity revealed significantly lower cortisol over systolic blood pressure (CoSBP) and cortisol over diastolic blood pressure (CoDBP) reactivity in overweight/obese compared with lean men. Other measures of HPA/SAM reactivity and all measures of SAM/HPA reactivity were unaltered in overweight/obese compared with lean men. These findings suggest that the cortisol response per unit of blood pressure response is blunted in men with elevated adiposity. Further, these findings support a notion of a coordinated overall approach to activation of the stress pathways with the degree of activation in one pathway being related to the degree of activation of the other.

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Impact of Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on Salivary Cortisol Secretion

Acta Psychologica Sinica ◽

10.3724/sp.j.1041.2011.00403 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 403-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Juan YANG ◽

Yan HOU ◽

Yu YANG ◽

Qing-Lin ZHANG

Keyword(s):

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Cortisol Secretion

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Kinetics and Interrelations of the Renin Aldosterone Response to Acute Psychosocial Stress: A Neglected Stress System

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/clinem/dgz190 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 105 (3) ◽

pp. e762-e773 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Angelina Gideon ◽

Christine Sauter ◽

Judy Fieres ◽

Thilo Berger ◽

Britta Renner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychosocial Stress ◽

Social Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Plasma Aldosterone ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Control Group ◽

Placebo Control ◽

Stress System ◽

Stress Induction ◽

Acute Psychosocial Stress

Abstract Context The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis and its dysfunction relates to negative health consequences. Acute psychosocial stress seems to activate the RAAS in humans, but stress kinetics and interrelations of RAAS parameters compared with a nonstress control group remain inconclusive. Objective We systematically investigated in a randomized placebo-controlled design stress kinetics and interrelations of the reactivity of RAAS parameters measured in plasma and saliva to standardized acute psychosocial stress induction. Methods 58 healthy young men were assigned to either a stress or a placebo control group. The stress group underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), while the control group underwent the placebo TSST. We repeatedly assessed plasma renin, and plasma and salivary aldosterone before and up to 3 hours after stress/placebo. We simultaneously assessed salivary cortisol to validate successful stress induction and to test for interrelations. Results Acute psychosocial stress induced significant increases in all endocrine measures compared with placebo-stress (all P ≤ .041). Highest renin levels were observed 1 minute after stress, and highest aldosterone and cortisol levels 10 and 20 minutes after stress, with salivary aldosterone starting earlier at 1 minute after stress. Renin completed recovery at 10 minutes, cortisol at 60 minutes, salivary aldosterone at 90 minutes, and plasma aldosterone at 180 minutes after stress. Stress increase scores of all endocrine measures related to each other, as did renin and cortisol areas under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi) and salivary and plasma aldosterone AUCi (all P ≤ .047). Conclusions Our findings suggest that in humans acute psychosocial stress induces a differential and interrelated RAAS parameter activation pattern. Potential implications for stress-related cardiovascular risk remain to be elucidated.

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Stress Responsiveness in Adult Life: Influence of Mother’s Diet in Late Pregnancy

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2007-0071 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 92 (6) ◽

pp. 2208-2210 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Rebecca M. Reynolds ◽

Keith M. Godfrey ◽

Mary Barker ◽

Clive Osmond ◽

David I. W. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Psychological Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Adult Life ◽

Late Pregnancy ◽

High Protein ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Cortisol Secretion ◽

Men And Women ◽

Low Carbohydrate Diet ◽

Stress Responsiveness

Abstract Context: Men and women whose mothers ate an unbalanced high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet in late pregnancy have raised blood pressure. We recently showed that they also have raised fasting plasma cortisol concentrations. Because raised fasting cortisol concentrations probably reflect a greater response to the stress of fasting and venesection, we suspected that this diet may have led to increased stress responsiveness in the adult offspring. Objective: The aim was to determine whether an unbalanced high-protein diet during pregnancy is associated with increased cortisol secretion in response to psychological stress in the offspring. Design and Participants: Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured during a modified Trier Social Stress Test in 70 men and women aged 36.3 yr whose mothers had taken part in a dietary intervention in which they were advised to eat 1 pound (0.45 kg) of red meat daily during pregnancy and to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. Results: The offspring of women who reported greater consumption of meat and fish in the second half of pregnancy had higher cortisol concentrations during the Trier Test. Compared with the offspring of mothers who had reported eating no more than 13 meat/fish portions per week, the average cortisol concentrations were raised by 22% (95% confidence interval, 13 to 71%) and 46% (5 to 103%) in the offspring of those eating 14–16 and at least 17 portions per week, respectively. Conclusions: These findings provide the first human evidence that an unbalanced high protein maternal diet during late pregnancy leads to increased cortisol secretion in response to psychological stress in the offspring.

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Effects of Cable News Watching on Older Adults’ Physiological and Self-Reported Stress and Cognitive Function

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.1177/0091415017729684 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 87 (2) ◽

pp. 111-123 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Caroline Deal ◽

Ryan Bogdan ◽

J. Phil Miller ◽

Tom Rodebaugh ◽

Charlene Caburnay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Social Stress ◽

Physiological Stress ◽

Stress Test ◽

Trier Social Stress Test ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Cable News ◽

Fox News

Older adults are the largest consumer of cable news, which includes negative and politicized content and may constitute a daily stressor. As older adults are also vulnerable to the negative consequences of stress, we hypothesized that cable news watching could induce a stress reaction and impair cognitive function. We tested exposures to cable news (i.e., Fox News and MSNBC) in a within-subject randomized controlled design in 34 healthy older adults. We also included negative (Public Broadcasting Station) and positive (trier social stress test) controls. Cable news watching had no effect on psychological stress, physiological stress, or cognitive function. This remained true even if the news exposures were discordant with participants’ political affiliation. We conclude that brief cable news watching does not induce a physiological or subjective stress response or cognitive impairment among healthy older adults.

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