Sex-specific association of hair cortisol concentration with stress-related psychological factors in healthy young adults

Abstract

Background Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has received attention as a useful marker of stress, but evidence on associations between psychological factors and cortisol concentration is inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sex differences in the relationship between cortisol concentration and psychological factors in healthy young adults. Methods A total of 205 (103 females, 102 males) healthy young adults participated. HCC and various stress-related psychological measures were compared between sexes. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess associations between HCC and stress-related psychological measures for all participants and for each sex. Results The difference in HCC according to sex was not significant. The reported number of stressful life events in the past year, stress perception, depressive and anxiety-related symptoms, and emotion dysregulation were not different between sexes, either. The association between HCC and emotion dysregulation was significant in females but not males. Conclusion We observed a sex-specific association between HCC and psychological factors. Our findings may imply that HCC could be a useful biomarker of stress and stress-related emotion dysregulation in healthy young women.

Theory of mind and hair cortisol in healthy young adults: the moderating effects of childhood trauma

“…No significant group differences were found in HCC. There was no significant difference in HCC regarding sex which confirms the findings in previous studies (Manenschijn et al, 2011 ; Raul et al, 2004 ; Thomson et al, 2010 ; Won Jae Kim et al, 2021a ). The CT+ group showed significantly higher scores of BDI and PSS than the CT– group.…”

“…Otherwise, considering the association between childhood adversity and a blunted cortisol response to social stress (Bunea et al, 2017 ), further studies investigating cortisol reactivity by acute stressors and basal cortisol levels might also reveal dysregulation of the cortisol response to chronic social stress in individuals with CT. Regarding the previous studies which reported no difference in HCC between sexes (Kim et al, 2021a ; Raul et al, 2004 ), we conducted univariable analysis to evaluate the relationship between sex and HCC. The univariable analysis showed that sex was associated with HCC at a trend level.…”

Chronic Stress Related to Cancer Incidence, including the Role of Metabolic Syndrome Components

“…Also, previous investigations have indicated that men had larger quantities of hair glucorticoids compared to women [ 21 , 22 , 47 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Nevertheless, several studies reported no significant differences in hair glucocorticoids between men and women [ 18 , 59 , 60 ]. Therefore, further research will be required to determine whether a gender differences in hair glucocorticoids exists and what mechanisms may be at work.…”

Association Between Parameters of Cortisol Metabolism, Biomarkers of Minerals (Zinc, Selenium, and Magnesium), and Insulin Resistance and Oxidative Stress in Women with Obesity

“…In this regard, literature has demonstrated the relevance of deregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the presence of adipose tissue dysfunction as a contributing factor to accentuate the synthesis and secretion of cortisol, which consequently favors the increase of the risk for the development of metabolic disorders associated with obesity [6]. It is noteworthy that cortisol acts as an important regulator of endocrine function, metabolism, and adipocyte differentiation, contributing to adipogenesis and increased visceral fat stores [7]. Furthermore, this hormone is also involved in the central response to stress and indirectly in uences neuroprotection mechanisms [8].…”