Hair cortisol and the relationship with chronic pain and quality of life in endometriosis patients
Publication year
2018Author(s)
Number of pages
7 p.
Source
Psychoneuroendocrinology, 89, (2018), pp. 216-222ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Anatomy
SW OZ DCC NRP
SW OZ DCC SMN
Gynaecology
Journal title
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume
vol. 89
Languages used
English (eng)
Page start
p. 216
Page end
p. 222
Subject
Action, intention, and motor control; Biological psychology; DI-BCB_DCC_Theme 2: Perception, Action and Control; DI-BCB_DCC_Theme 3: Plasticity and Memory; Neuropsychology and rehabilitation psychology; Radboudumc 13: Stress-related disorders DCMN: Donders Center for Medical Neuroscience; Radboudumc 17: Women's cancers RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Biologische psychologie; Neuro- en revalidatiepsychologieAbstract
Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disease in which pelvic pain is the dominant symptom. The negative effects of endometriosis on the life of women with this disease can be a cause of stress. Stress levels can be measured in different ways, mostly reflecting acute stress responses. Hair cortisol measurements are a reflection of long-term systematic cortisol levels. In this study a first attempt is made to measure cortisol levels in hair of endometriosis patients in comparison with healthy controls. Moreover, it is explored whether chronic pain symptoms as well as different aspects of Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) are associated with hair cortisol levels in women with endometriosis. Results show that the mean hair cortisol level is significantly higher in women with endometriosis compared to healthy controls (p = 0.018). There is a positive correlation between hair cortisol level and HRQoL in patients but not in controls (Rho 0.426). The level of hair cortisol does not correlate with the reported pain intensity in patients (Rho -0.082). These results are indicative of an altered HPA-axis function in endometriosis patients, possibly caused by higher chronic stress level in these patients. Moreover, a potential explanation for the positive correlation of cortisol with the HRQoL in these patients is that patients with a high HRQoL have an adequate stress response by increasing their cortisol levels as a response to physical and emotional stress induced by the endometriosis.
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- Academic publications [238586]
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- Faculty of Medical Sciences [90409]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [29513]
- Open Access publications [97830]
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