Cortisol effects on body mass, blood pressure, and cholesterol in the general population

The effects of excess cortisol secretion on blood pressure and fat depositi on are well documented, but the importance of this glucocorticoid in contro lling these processes in normal individuals is less clear. We studied the r elationship between cortisol excretion rate (tetrahydrocortisol [THF]+allo- THF+tetrahydrocortisone [THE]) and a range of important cardiovascular risk factors in 439 normal subjects (238 male) sampled from the North of Glasgo w (Scotland) population. There were marked gender differences: female subje cts were lighter and had lower blood pressures and cortisol levels, whereas HDL cholesterol was higher. The pattern of cortisol metabolism was also di fferent; the index of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity (THF+al lo-THF/THF) was lower and that of 5 alpha-reductase (allo-THF/THF) was high er. There was a strong correlation of blood pressure (positive), cholestero l (positive), and HDL cholesterol (negative in women, positive in men) with age. Cortisol excretion rate did not correlate with blood pressure but cor related strongly with parameters of body habitus (body mass index and waist and hip measurements [positive]) and HDL cholesterol (negative). With mult iple regression analysis, there remained a significant association of corti sol excretion rate with HDL cholesterol in men and women and with body mass index in men. These results suggest that glucocorticoids regulate key comp onents of cardiovascular risk.