Abstract
Objective: Several studies have emphasized the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and inadequate response of the biological stress system. However, other factors related to SES are rarely considered, such as cultural values, social norms, organization, language and communication skills, which raises the need to investigate cross-country differences in stress response. Although some studies have shown differences in cortisol levels between immigrants and natives, there is no cross-country evidence regarding cortisol levels in country-native elders. This is particularly important given the high prevalence of stress-related disorders across nations during aging. The current study examined basal diurnal and reactive cortisol levels in healthy older adults living in two different countries. <div>Methods: Salivary cortisol of 260 older adults from Canada and Brazil were nalyzed. Diurnal cortisol was measured in saliva samples collected at home throughout two working days at awakening, 30 min after waking, 1400 h, 1600 h and before bedtime. Cortisol reactivity was assessed in response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in both populations. Results Our results showed that even under similar health status, psychological and cognitive characteristics, Brazilian elders exhibited higher basal and stress-induced cortisol secretion compared to the Canadian participants. Conclusion: These findings suggest that country context may modulate cortisol secretion and could impact the population health.</div>
Highlights
Discrepancies in the prevalence of chronic diseases and stressrelated disorders across nations have received widespread attention of scientists and international health organizations [1–3]
These findings suggest that country context may modulate cortisol secretion and could impact the population health
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced the global burden of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, showing that they are positively associated with 29% of deaths in people under the age of 60 in the low-middle income population compared to 13% in the high-income countries [2]
Summary
Discrepancies in the prevalence of chronic diseases and stressrelated disorders across nations have received widespread attention of scientists and international health organizations [1–3]. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced the global burden of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, showing that they are positively associated with 29% of deaths in people under the age of 60 in the low-middle income population compared to 13% in the high-income countries [2]. According to the World Mental Health Survey Initiative, the highest prevalence of major depression varies from 10.4 in low to middle-income, to 8.3 in high-income countries [3]. Chronic exposure to high levels of stress has been associated to the development of various chronic illnesses including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, central adiposity, diabetes as well as psychological disorders such as depression [4–8]. The central role of cortisol, the peripheral stress hormone in the pathway by which the environmental context can ‘‘get under the skin’’ damaging health and the course of aging, has been recently reviewed [7,9– 10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
