In their first months at Stress in Action, PhD-students Susanne Kuckuck and Robin Lengton have worked hard towards their first publication. This resulted in the first Stress in Action paper published.
Kuckuck, Lengton and colleagues present a systematic review and meta-analysis on long-term glucocorticoids in relation to the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. The glucocorticoids cortisol and cortisone were measured in hair and reflect long-term high activity of the HPA stress axis. Their search yielded seven studies on metabolic syndrome, 16 articles on cardiovascular disease and one study on both. The literature indicates a consistent, positive association between levels of hair glucocorticoids and cardiovascular disease. However, results regarding the association of hair glucocorticoids and metabolic disease were inconsistent. To better understand if measuring hair cortisol and cortisone can help predict future cardiometabolic deterioration, more prospective longitudinal studies are needed.
Long-term Glucocorticoids in Relation to the Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Susanne Kuckuck, Robin Lengton, Mariëtte Boon, Eric Boersma, Brenda Penninx, Maryam Kavousi and Liesbeth van Rossum. Journal of Internal Medicine, 2023;00: 1-18.
Graphical Abstract, Journal of Internal Medicine 2023. Link to source.
