Heightened cortisol responses to daily stress in working women at familial risk for breast cancer

Lucia Dettenborn; Gary D. James; Helene Van Berge-Landry; Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir; Guy H. Montgomery; Dana H. Bovbjerg

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.07.004

Heightened cortisol responses to daily stress in working women at familial risk for breast cancer

Lucia Dettenborn
, Gary D. James
, Helene Van Berge-Landry
, Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir
, Guy H. Montgomery
, Dana H. Bovbjerg

Department of Psychology

Reykjavik University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Consistent with animal models and experimental studies with humans facing other 'background' stressors, women at familial risk for breast cancer have been reported to have stronger cortisol responses to laboratory stressors. To explore the relevance of these findings to daily life, we compared work-stress cortisol responses in women with ≥1 first-degree relative with breast cancer (FH+, n = 74) to women without this risk factor (FH-, n = 141). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a group by time interaction (p ≤ 0.05) with FH+ women having higher (p ≤ 0.05) urinary cortisol levels than FH- during work, but not at home or during sleep. They also had a higher percentage increase between nadir cortisol levels and work levels. These results provide evidence that the heightened cortisol responses of FH+ women also apply to daily life stressors, and suggest the need for additional research to explore the possibility that accentuated hypothalamic-pituitary-axis responses to such stressors may increase health risk for these women.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	167-179
Number of pages	13
Journal	Biological Psychology
Volume	69
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.07.004
Publication status	Published - May 2005

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute (Bovbjerg, CA72457) and the Army (Bovbjerg, DAMD17-99-1-9303; Dettenborn, DAMD 17-03-1-0346). The authors would like to thank Dr. Dirk Hellhammer and Dr. Stefan Gold, as well as the Associate Editor and anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, and the research participants for their invaluable contribution of time and effort to the study.

Other keywords

Breast cancer
Cortisol
Familial risk
Work stress

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10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.07.004

Cite this

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title = "Heightened cortisol responses to daily stress in working women at familial risk for breast cancer",

abstract = "Consistent with animal models and experimental studies with humans facing other 'background' stressors, women at familial risk for breast cancer have been reported to have stronger cortisol responses to laboratory stressors. To explore the relevance of these findings to daily life, we compared work-stress cortisol responses in women with ≥1 first-degree relative with breast cancer (FH+, n = 74) to women without this risk factor (FH-, n = 141). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a group by time interaction (p ≤ 0.05) with FH+ women having higher (p ≤ 0.05) urinary cortisol levels than FH- during work, but not at home or during sleep. They also had a higher percentage increase between nadir cortisol levels and work levels. These results provide evidence that the heightened cortisol responses of FH+ women also apply to daily life stressors, and suggest the need for additional research to explore the possibility that accentuated hypothalamic-pituitary-axis responses to such stressors may increase health risk for these women.",

keywords = "Breast cancer, Cortisol, Familial risk, Work stress",

author = "Lucia Dettenborn and James, \{Gary D.\} and \{Van Berge-Landry\}, Helene and Valdimarsdottir, \{Heiddis B.\} and Montgomery, \{Guy H.\} and Bovbjerg, \{Dana H.\}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute (Bovbjerg, CA72457) and the Army (Bovbjerg, DAMD17-99-1-9303; Dettenborn, DAMD 17-03-1-0346). The authors would like to thank Dr. Dirk Hellhammer and Dr. Stefan Gold, as well as the Associate Editor and anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, and the research participants for their invaluable contribution of time and effort to the study.",

year = "2005",

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doi = "10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.07.004",

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pages = "167--179",

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AU - Dettenborn, Lucia

AU - James, Gary D.

AU - Van Berge-Landry, Helene

AU - Valdimarsdottir, Heiddis B.

AU - Montgomery, Guy H.

AU - Bovbjerg, Dana H.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute (Bovbjerg, CA72457) and the Army (Bovbjerg, DAMD17-99-1-9303; Dettenborn, DAMD 17-03-1-0346). The authors would like to thank Dr. Dirk Hellhammer and Dr. Stefan Gold, as well as the Associate Editor and anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, and the research participants for their invaluable contribution of time and effort to the study.

PY - 2005/5

Y1 - 2005/5

N2 - Consistent with animal models and experimental studies with humans facing other 'background' stressors, women at familial risk for breast cancer have been reported to have stronger cortisol responses to laboratory stressors. To explore the relevance of these findings to daily life, we compared work-stress cortisol responses in women with ≥1 first-degree relative with breast cancer (FH+, n = 74) to women without this risk factor (FH-, n = 141). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a group by time interaction (p ≤ 0.05) with FH+ women having higher (p ≤ 0.05) urinary cortisol levels than FH- during work, but not at home or during sleep. They also had a higher percentage increase between nadir cortisol levels and work levels. These results provide evidence that the heightened cortisol responses of FH+ women also apply to daily life stressors, and suggest the need for additional research to explore the possibility that accentuated hypothalamic-pituitary-axis responses to such stressors may increase health risk for these women.

AB - Consistent with animal models and experimental studies with humans facing other 'background' stressors, women at familial risk for breast cancer have been reported to have stronger cortisol responses to laboratory stressors. To explore the relevance of these findings to daily life, we compared work-stress cortisol responses in women with ≥1 first-degree relative with breast cancer (FH+, n = 74) to women without this risk factor (FH-, n = 141). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a group by time interaction (p ≤ 0.05) with FH+ women having higher (p ≤ 0.05) urinary cortisol levels than FH- during work, but not at home or during sleep. They also had a higher percentage increase between nadir cortisol levels and work levels. These results provide evidence that the heightened cortisol responses of FH+ women also apply to daily life stressors, and suggest the need for additional research to explore the possibility that accentuated hypothalamic-pituitary-axis responses to such stressors may increase health risk for these women.

KW - Breast cancer

KW - Cortisol

KW - Familial risk

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DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.07.004

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SP - 167

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JO - Biological Psychology

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ER -

Heightened cortisol responses to daily stress in working women at familial risk for breast cancer

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Other keywords

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