Salivary Cortisol Is Related to Atherosclerosis of Carotid Arteries

Abstract

Our results support the hypothesis that increased total cortisol exposure is independently associated with atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries.

Elevated levels of circulating matrix metalloproteinase-9 are associated with a dysregulated cortisol rhythm—A case-control study of coronary artery disease

“…Several other studies have indicated an association between cortisol levels and atherosclerosis although results may seem contradictive. Dekker et al showed an independent relationship between total cortisol exposure while awake and carotid atherosclerosis (Dekker et al, 2008) while Matthews et al reported that a flattened diurnal rhythm of cortisol was related to subclinical CAD, as assessed by coronary calcification (Matthews et al, 2006). On the other hand, an increased cortisol response to acute mental stress was recently demonstrated in individuals with greater extent of coronary calcification (Hamer et al, 2010).…”

Estimation of serum cortisol levels and its correlation with salivary cortisol levels in coronary artery disease patients with and without periodontitis: a cross sectional study

“…Additionally, microorganisms involved in periodontal diseases can play a role in the formation of atheromatous plaques and given that periodontal disease is one the most common infectious diseases, it can be considered as an important risk factor for CVD. 9 Over the past two decades, the use of saliva, rather than blood or urine, to determine various adrenal hormone values has gained increasing acceptance and is the method of choice for current stress research. The available literature clearly suggests that salivary cortisol is more closely correlated with the free cortisol fraction in serum compared to total serum cortisol.…”

Salivary cortisol in a middle-aged community sample: results from 990 men and women of the KORA-F3 Augsburg study

“…Existing information is limited, as it is derived from noncommunity cohorts (14,15), or because it is focused on associations of saliva cortisol with selected variables (16)(17)(18)(19). Accordingly, we chose to analyze salivary cortisol in a community sample, which was well characterized with regard to sociodemographic data, sampling factors, health habits, and both physical and mental health.…”