SALIVARY ALPHA-AMYLASE IN A POPULATION BASED SAMPLE. ASSOCIATIONS WITH PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS, SELF RATED HEALTH AND INFLAMMATORY MARKERS

• Objective: In recent years, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) has beenproposed as a reliable proxy for sympathetic activity. This study aimed at testing the association between sAA to a broad range of psychosocial factors, self rated health, cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers in a normal population sample.Methods: 30 participants, all men between 50 and 54 years old, were randomly selected from a normal population based study. Saliva samples were collected at awakening, 30 minutes after awakening and just before going to bed. sAA was measured by a calorimetric method using Phadebas amylase test. Linear regression models were used to test associations between sAA levels and a broad spectrum of psychosocial factors (e.g. depressive symptamology, vital exhaustion, mastery and sense of coherence) self rated health and inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein). Adjustments were made for physical exercise, smoking, blood  lipids and  time point  when  sample was collected.Results: sAA levels at awakening were positively associated with depressive symptamology (p = 0.046), vital exhaustion (p = 0.025) and negatively associated with sense of coherence (p = 0.034). It was further associated positively associated with levels of C-reactive protein (p = 0.024)  and  negatively associated with  self  reported general health (p = 0.010). Samples taken just before going to bed were showing similar results, whereas samples taken 30 minutes after awakening only showed a few significant associations.Conclusions: The associations found give further support for the use of salivary alpha amylase as a psychoneuroendocrinological bio- marker. Assessment just after awakening or just before going to bed seems to be more reliable than samples 30 minutes after awakening.

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