Diurnal saliva cortisol levels and relations to psychosocial factors in a population sample of middle-aged Swedish men and women

• Whereas psychosocial risk factors increase the risk for disease, psychosocial resources reduce this risk. To examine a possible pathway for these effects, the relations between saliva cortisol levels and psychosocial factors were studied in a random sample of 257 men and women aged 30 to 64 years. Saliva samples were collected at home on waking, 30 min after waking, and in the evening. A flatter diurnal rhythm of cortisol, that is, lower deviations between awakening and evening cortisol levels, was related to high levels of psychosocial risk factors (cynicism, depression, and vital exhaustion), whereas a steeper diurnal rhythm was related to psychosocial resources (social support and coping), general health, and well-being (all p < .05). Our results support earlier suggestions that the capacity of the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal-axis to dynamically respond to stress is 1 pathway for observed effects of psychosocial factors regarding risk for disease development. Copyright © 2006 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

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MEDICINE

MEDICIN

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