Cortisol in urine and saliva: relations to the intima media thickness, IMT.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to analyse the relations between excretion of cortisol in urine and saliva and the intima media thickness (IMT) of the artery carotis communis. DESIGN AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 121 healthy participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire. Additionally, three samples of urine and four samples of saliva were collected in the 24 h before the examination, which included an ultrasound examination of the artery carotis communis, measuring height, weight, hip and waist width, blood pressure after 10 min of rest, and analysis of blood samples for cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and HbA(1c). The highest average of three measurements of IMT immediately before cartosis bulbous from either left or right side was used in the analyses as the dependent variable IMT. RESULTS: Values of cortisol in urine adjusted for creatinine were not related to IMT, but the level of salivary cortisol 1 h after awakening and the reactivity in salivary cortisol the first hour after awakening were significantly associated with IMT in women i.e. high cortisol was associated with low IMT. This result remained significant in multiple regression analysis including age, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, HbA(1c), and alcohol. CONCLUSION: The reactivity in salivary cortisol the first hour in the morning might be used in research relating to stress, hormonal changes and early atherosclerosis.

The intima media thickness and coronary risk factors.

AIM: to estimate the degree of atherosclerosis in the carotids with different measurements of the intima media thickness (IMT), obtained by ultrasound and to analyze the correlations of these measures to coronary risk factors. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: 130 employed men and women volunteered after public announcement. MEASURES: Health and life-style were charted using a comprehensive questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements, and blood pressure after 10 min of rest were obtained at clinical examination. Blood tests included analyses for fibrinogen, cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol. The IMT was measured bilaterally three times at the transition of a. carotis to bulbus as well as on a. carotis 0.5 cm proximal thereto. Analyses were conducted with four methodologically different ways of expressing IMT as the dependent variable: IMT(left), IMT(communis), IMT(mean) and IMT(max). RESULTS: Among the measurements of IMT, IMT(max) showed the strongest correlations to coronary risk factors, significantly associated with sex and age. In univariate analyses only the degree of physical activity in the leisure time correlated significantly to IMT(max) among men. When adjusted for age, HDL-cholesterol, BMI, systolic blood pressure and physical activity in leisure time in a multiple linear regression analysis IMT(max) showed significant correlations to physical activity in leisure time and systolic blood pressure among men older than 45 years. Among women IMT(max) was significantly correlated to HDL-cholesterol (inversely), which remained significant in the multiple regression analysis including the same factors as for men. CONCLUSIONS: IMT(max) among four measures of IMT showed the strongest associations to coronary risk factors in otherwise healthy individuals.