A controlled study of cortisol, thyroid hormone and autonomic function in anxiety disorder

Abstract

Objective To investigate the features of the cortisol ( COR),thyroid hormone and autonomic function of anxiety disorder,and to observe the relationships between clinical subtypes,insomnia,gender factors and the neuroendocrine and autonomic function.Methods 60 anxiety disorder patients and 60 healthy controls were randomly selected from a three-grade class A hospital over the same period.Blood at 8:00am to test the plasma COR,T3,T4,TSH level and examined the heart rate variability (HRV) on the same day,the anxiety disorder patients also finish the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS).Results The plasma COR,TSH level and LF/HF index were significantly higher( (531.58 ± 218.59 ) nmol/L,P＜ 0.0l ; (3.50 ± 1.35 ) MIU/L,P＜ 0.05 ;3.87 ± 3.37,P＜0.0l ),while the SDNN,LF,HF index were significantly lower in anxiety disorder than that in the control group (27.34±13.13,P＜0.01;338.72 ±396.34,P＜0.01;135.77 ±149.95,P＜0.01).The plasma COR,TSH level and LF/HF index were significantly higher(P ＜ 0.05,P＜0.01,P＜0.01 ),while the SDNN and HF index were significantly lower in panic disorder than that in the generalized anxiety disorder (P ＜ 0.01 ).The plasma COR,TSH level and LF/HF index were significantly higher,while the SDNN,LF,HF index were significantly lower in panic disorder than that in the control group (P＜0.01 ).The plasma COR was significantly higher,while the SDNN and HF index were significantly lower in generalized anxiety disorder than that of the control group (P＜0.01 ).The plasma COR level and LF/HF index were significantly higher (P＜0.01,P＜0.05),while the SDNN,LF,HF index were significantly lower in anxiety disorder with or without insomnia than that in the control group (P＜ 0.01 ).The plasma TSH level was significantly higher in anxiety disorder with insomnia than that in the control group (P＜ 0.05 ).There were no significant difference of the neuroendocrine and autonomic function between anxiety disorder with or without insomnia (P ＞ 0.05 ).The plasma COR,TSH level were significantly higher,while the SDNN,LF,HF index were significantly lower in the female group than that in the male group (P＜0.01).The total SAS scores were significantly positively correhted with plasma COR levels,and was significantly negatively correlated with SDNN,HF index in the anxiety group.Conclusion There are neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system dysfunctions in anxiety disorder,and these dysfunctions are related with clinical subtypes,insomnia,and gender. Key words: Anxiety disorder; Cortisol; Thyroid hormone; Heart rate variability