Higher perceived stress and poorer health reflected in elevated cortisol concentrations measured in extracts of hair from middle-aged healthy women

Abstract

The prevalence of mental strain and stress has increased in modern societies, resulting in increased public health problems. Stress can be measured either by biomarkers or by self-reports. A new biomarker that measures long-term biological stress is cortisol measured in timed hair extracts. Hair grows at approximately 1 cm per month, and retrospectively reflects average stress levels. However, the plausible relationship between perceived stress and self-reported health and this novel biomarker is yet not firmly established. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between perceived stress, self-reported health, and cortisol in hair extracts in healthy middle-aged women from two different occupations.