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Hair cortisol and adiposity in a population‐based sample of 2,527 men and women aged 54 to 87 years
Author(s) -
Jackson Sarah E.,
Kirschbaum Clemens,
Steptoe Andrew
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21733
Subject(s) - waist , medicine , obesity , endocrinology , population , circumference , cross sectional study , scalp , demography , surgery , geometry , mathematics , environmental health , pathology , sociology
Objective Chronic cortisol exposure is hypothesized to contribute to obesity. This study examined associations between hair cortisol concentrations, a novel indicator of long‐term cortisol exposure, and adiposity in a large population‐based sample. Methods Data were from 2,527 men and women aged 54 and older (98% white British) participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Hair cortisol concentrations were determined from the scalp‐nearest 2 cm hair segment, and height, weight, and waist circumference were objectively measured. Covariates included age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking status, diabetes, and arthritis. Results In cross‐sectional analyses, hair cortisol concentrations were positively correlated with weight ( r = 0.102, P < 0.001), BMI ( r = 0.101, P < 0.001), and waist circumference ( r = 0.082, P = 0.001) and were significantly elevated in participants with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ) ( F = 6.58, P = 0.001) and raised waist circumference (≥102 cm in men, ≥88 cm in women) ( F = 4.87, P = 0.027). Hair cortisol levels were also positively associated with the persistence of obesity ( F = 12.70, P < 0.001), evaluated in retrospect over 4 years. Conclusions Chronic exposure to elevated cortisol concentrations, assessed in hair, is associated with markers of adiposity and with the persistence of obesity over time.