Cortisol in hair, body mass index and stress-related measures

Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) are assumed to reflect integrated cortisol secretion over extended periods of time and may provide a sensitive marker for stress-associated endocrine changes. Here, we report data from two independent studies of 155 (study I) and 58 participants (study II) in which HCC associations with different stress-related measures and body mass index (BMI) were investigated. Consistent evidence for positive associations between HCC and BMI was seen across both studies (study I: r = .33, p < .001; study II: r = .42, p = .001). On the other hand, findings failed to reveal reliable HCC associations with psychosocial variables, showing only a positive relationship with self-reported social overload in study II (r = .29, p = .03) but not with other stress-related measures.

► Associations with hair cortisol concentrations in two studies on healthy subjects.
► Consistent positive associations between hair cortisol and body mass index.
► No reliable associations between hair cortisol and stress-related measures.