Effects of Life Stress on Serum Corticol and Lipid Concentrations in College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of life stress on serum cortisol and lipid concentration in college students. Life stress levels for last 1 year were determined using a self‐administered life stress questionnaire in 406 college students. It was divided into 3 subgroups by scores distribution based on total life stress scores [the top 25%: high stress group (HSG), the low 25%: low stress group (LSG) and middle range: middle stress group (MSG)]. From 406 college students, fifty college students’ blood (high stress group: n=23, middle stress group: n=9, low stress group: n= 18) were sampled for this study. Serum cortisol level as a stress biomarker and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and HDL‐cholesterol concentrations were measured. LDL‐cholesterol concentration and atherogenic index (AI) were calculated. Mean life stress level of HSG, MSG, LSG were 138.04 ± 36.3, 58.6 ± 8.7 and 16.3 ± 7.2, respectively. Serum cortisol level was not significantly different among 3 subgroups and there was no significant correlation between serum cortisol level and lipid concentrations. But serum HDL‐cholesterol concentration and AI were significantly different among 3 subgroups and there was significantly negative correlation between life stress level and HDL‐cholesterol concentration (p< 0.01), and there was significantly positive correlations between life stress level and AI (p< 0.01). These results suggested that high life stress level may have adverse effects on cardiovascular disease through decreasing serum HDL‐cholesterol concentration and increasing AI. Also serum cortisol level may not be a biomarker for chronic life stress.