Nutritional, metabolic and cardiovascular correlations of morning cortisol in health care workers in a gastroenterology service

• Published in: Arquivos de gastroenterologia 2015-06, Vol.52 (2), p.88-93
• Main Authors: Guerra, Aline, Soares, Rafael Marques, Pezzi, Fernanda, Karkow, Francisco Juarez, Faintuch, Joel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body Mass Index; Doenças metabólicas; Esgotamento profissional; Fasting; Female; GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY; Hidrocortisona; Humans; Hydrocortisone - blood; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Metabolic Syndrome - psychology; Middle Aged; Obesidade; Obesity - blood; Obesity - psychology; Occupational Diseases - blood; Occupational Diseases - psychology; Personnel, Hospital - psychology; Personnel, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Pessoal de saúde; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress, Physiological; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0004-2803; 1678-4219; 1678-4219; 0004-2803
• DOI: 10.1590/S0004-28032015000200003

Workplace stress has been associated with obesity. Diminished body weight has also been anticipated in some contexts. In a cohort of healthcare personnel, morning cortisol was compared to nutritional and metabolic variables, aiming to identify the correlates of such marker. Population n=185, 33.8 ± 9.8 years, 88.1% females, body mass index (BMI) 25.6 ± 4.4 kg/m2, included nurses and other nosocomial professionals, the majority with high social-economic status (75.2%). Participants were stratified according to BMI, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and metabolic syndrome (MS). Fasting plasma cortisol and the Framingham Coronary Risk Score was calculated. Mean cortisol was acceptable (19.4 ± 7.9 µg/dL) although with elevation in 21.6%. No correlation with FBG or MS occurred, and nonobese persons (BMI