Circadian rhythm and stress in the elderly: A study using salivary cortisol levels as an indicator.

Abstract

Biological response to stress was studied in the healthy elderly by fluctuations of their circadian rhythms using salivary cortisol levels as an indicator. Social activities per se may not be stressors, but may serve as a "eustress" to the elderly when they are in good health because their rhythm is maintained. Concerning the occupations of the subjects, the rhythms of elderly watchmen showed no disturbance when they slept for three hours between 23:00 and 2:00. However, those who were unable to sleep showed disturbed rhythms. We concluded that disturbance of a rhythm that has been established on the basis of being active during the day time and sleeping at night could be a stressor to the elderly rather than stress due to working as a guard.

Development of a Prototype Lateral Flow Immunoassay of Cortisol in Saliva for Daily Monitoring of Stress

“…Cortisol, a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is interesting in that its level rises as a result of the body’s response to stress. Situations that a person constantly encounters lead to an increase in cortisol levels and include medical intervention [ 14 , 15 ], disturbance of circadian rhythms [ 16 ], physical impact, such as noise [ 17 ], and emotional stress [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Emotional stress can be triggered by the events of the day that involve the emotional ego and/or anxious anticipation of a negative event [ 20 ], such as the need to speak to an audience [ 18 ] or the anticipation of a painful surgery [ 19 ].…”