Cortisol and Growth Hormone Responses to Psychological Stress during the Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

Twenty-one healthy women were studied during one menstrual cycle in order to determine whether cortisol and growth hormone responsivity to psychological stress was related to estrogen levels. Blood was drawn approximately three times per week for analysis of estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and human growth hormone. During either the menstrual or intermenstrual phase, each subject participated in an interview that was designed to be mildly stressful. State and trait anxiety were assessed using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Anxiety state was measured prior to and immediately following exposure to the psychological stress; trait anxiety was assessed at the end of the study. Cortisol and growth hormone responses to the psychological stress were not related to menstrual cycle phase. Anxiety levels were also independent of menstrual cycle phase. Subjects who displayed significant cortisol and/or growth hormone responsivity to the interview had significantly higher anxiety levels post stress than did nonresponders, although anxiety level prior to the interview was not different for the two groups.

The Relationship Between 24-h Urinary Cortisol and Bone in Healthy Young Women

“…Though detailed instruction and support were provided, the collection of urine for 24 h may be imprecise if, for example, the collection period is not exactly 24 h or if some voids are not collected. As well, we did not account for participants' menstrual cycle phase, and the diurnal rhythm of cortisol appears to differ during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle [29][30][31][32][33]. However, 24-h quantitative measures do not differ between phases [29][30][31][32][33], so this is unlikely to have affected our results.…”

Cortisol and DHEA-S are associated with startle potentiation during aversive conditioning in humans

“…Finally, we did not collect information from females on the phase in the menstrual cycle during which they were tested. Human studies have produced inconsistent results with respect to potential changes in HPA reactivity over the menstrual cycle (Abplanalp et al 1977;Kirschbaum et al 1999;Marinari et al 1976;Tersman et al 1991). Neither DHEA nor DHEA-S appears to vary systematically with menstrual phase (Vermeulen 1980).…”

HPA Axis Reactivity: A Mechanism Underlying the Associations Among 5-HTTLPR, Stress, and Depression

“…While we did not match groups specifically with respect to time during the menstrual cycle at which cortisol was assessed, it is important to note both that the three genotype groups did not differ in the proportion of girls who were pre-and post-menarche, χ 2 (4,67) <1, and that results of studies with humans are mixed with respect to the possible association of cortisol reactivity with phase of the menstrual cycle (28)(29)(30). Given that the three genotype groups also did not differ with respect to time of day at which the cortisol was collected, F(2,63)<1, it is unlikely that time of assessment during the menstrual cycle could explain differences in cortisol reactivity among the three genotype groups.…”