Serum-cholesterol: sex specific psychological correlates during rest and stress

In the present study an attempt was made to assess whether male and female students differ in their cholesterol and catecholamine reaction to examination stress. An answer was also sought to the question of whether cholesterol level and reactivity could be predicted from behavioral traits and mood. In 29 male and 23 female students, cholesterol and urine-catecholamines were measured on an examination day and on a control day. Cholesterol level was found to be higher on the examination day, in both males and females. Although males showed a larger adrenaline reaction than females, their cholesterol reaction did not differ from that of the females. Specifically with regard to males, 62% of the variance in cholesterol base level and 40% of the variance of the stress induced cholesterol rise, were explained by the psychological variables measured. Achievement motivation and depression contributed to both predictions. No significant predictions could be made in the female group. This demonstrates the necessity of taking sex differences into account in psychophysiological studies. It is suggested to pay greater attention in future research to the mediating role that blood lipids play in the relationship between psychological factors and the risk of coronary heart disease.