Lipid reactivity to stress: I. Comparison of chronic and acute stress responses in middle-aged airline pilots

Lipids increase during psychological stress, but no studies have compared t he effects of acute and chronic stressors on lipid responsivity in the same individuals. One hundred middle-aged men (n = 92) and women (n = 8) were e xamined during high chronic occupational stress, low chronic stress, and ac ute laboratory stressors. In addition to measures of perceived stress and a ffect, an extensive battery of Lipid and lipoprotein measures was undertake n at each time point. Most lipid parameters were significantly increased du ring the chronic and acute stressors, although the responses to the differe nt stressors were not consistently associated. For example, significant cor relations among the chronic and acute stress responses were apparent for th e apoproteins, but not for total, low density lipoprotein, or high density lipoprotein cholesterol. The factors and processes regulating these variabl es during stress may be different during acute and chronic stressors.