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Study of blood lipids, cortisol and haemodynamic variations under stress in male adults

Ghulam Mujadid Qureshi1, Ghulam Mustafa Seehar, Mevo Khan Zardari

  • 1Department of Physiology, People's Medical College, Nawabshah, Pakistan. gmqlrk@yahoo.com

Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad : JAMC
|April 7, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Psychological stress significantly elevates cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate. While blood lipid levels showed varied significant changes, further research is needed to understand their link with stress and social factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • Elevated blood cholesterol is a key factor in atherosclerosis development.
  • Psychological stress is known to increase cholesterol levels.
  • Previous research primarily focused on biological risk factors in middle-aged individuals with existing heart conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess changes in blood lipids and cortisol levels during psychological stress.
  • To evaluate sympatho-adrenergic responses using hemodynamic parameters under stress.
  • To investigate the correlation between stress-induced changes in lipids, hemodynamics, and cortisol.

Main Methods:

  • 114 male participants were randomly selected.
  • Participants underwent two examination periods: during a stress task (viva-voce exam) and a non-stress period.
  • Participant selection was finalized based on stress assessment and well-being.

Main Results:

  • Cortisol, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) significantly increased during stress (p < 0.001).
  • Blood lipid levels including total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides (TG) exhibited varying significant changes.
  • Correlations between altered lipid levels and increased hemodynamic parameters and cortisol were analyzed.

Conclusions:

  • Further research in the specific population is required.
  • Investigate the relationship between various biological risk factors (e.g., IL-9) and stress.
  • Explore the connection between sympatho-adrenergic activities, stress, and social/environmental/genetic psychological factors.
Abstract

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