4.5 Article

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity under resting conditions and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents

Journal

PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
Volume 66, Issue -, Pages 118-124

Publisher

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.01.002

Keywords

HPA axis activity; Cortisol; Corticosteroid binding globulin; Cardiovascular risk factors; Adolescence

Funding

  1. National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia [353514, 403981, 458623]
  2. Canadian Institutes of Health Research [MOP 82893]
  3. University of Western Australia (UWA)
  4. Raine Medical Research Foundation
  5. Telethon Kids Institute
  6. UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
  7. Women and Infants Research Foundation
  8. Curtin University
  9. Edith Cowan University
  10. Australian Government
  11. Raine Study PhD Scholarship

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Background: Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been associated with higher levels of cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in adults. This study aimed to assess the relation between measures of HPA axis activity under resting conditions and CVD risk factors in a general population of adolescents at 17 years. Methods: A total of 1134 adolescents from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study had phenotypic and socio-demographic data. The associations between HPA axis measures (plasma ACTH, total cortisol, calculated free cortisol, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), and salivary cortisol) and a range of cardiovascular risk factors were examined using multivariable linear regression models, with adjustment for gender, adiposity, birth weight, gestational age, and sodo-behavioural factors. Results: Plasma total cortisol was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = 0.011), total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides (all p < 0.001), and hs-CRP (p = 0.047). Salivary cortisol was associated positively with HDL-C (p = 0.033) and negatively with LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.016); plasma calculated free cortisol was positively associated with triglycerides (p = 0.006); plasma CBG was positively associated with total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol (both p < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.022), and hs-CRP (p = 0.001). After correction for multiple comparisons, significant associations remained for total cortisol with total cholesterol, HDL-C, and triglycerides; for calculated free cortisol with triglycerides; and for CBG with HDL-C, total cholesterol, and hs-CRP. Plasma ACTH was not associated with any cardiovascular risk factor. There was no association between BMI and any measure of HPA axis activity. Conclusion: In an adolescent population, HPA axis measures under resting conditions are associated with a range of CVD risk factors. Clarification of the mechanisms underlying these associations in adolescence would be an important step in understanding the evolution of adult CVD. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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