Cortisol in urine and saliva: relations to the intima media thickness, IMT

Objective: The objective of the study was to analyse the relations between excretion of cortisol in urine and saliva and the intima media thickness (IMT) of the artery carotis communis. Design and methods: In a cross-sectional study, 121 healthy participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire. Additionally, three samples of urine and four samples of saliva were collected in the 24 h before the examination, which included an ultrasound examination of the artery carotis communis, measuring height, weight, hip and waist width, blood pressure after 10 min of rest, and analysis of blood samples for cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and HbA1c. The highest average of three measurements of IMT immediately before cartosis bulbous from either left or right side was used in the analyses as the dependent variable IMT. Results: Values of cortisol in urine adjusted for creatinine were not related to IMT, but the level of salivary cortisol 1 h after awakening and the reactivity in salivary cortisol the first hour after awakening were significantly associated with IMT in women i.e. high cortisol was associated with low IMT. This result remained significant in multiple regression analysis including age, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, HbA1c, and alcohol. Conclusion: The reactivity in salivary cortisol the first hour in the morning might be used in research relating to stress, hormonal changes and early atherosclerosis.