Relaxation training and cortisol secretion in adult asthmatics

Relaxation techniques can lead to symptom reduction and improved pulmonary functioning in asthmatics, although the mechanism is not clear. One possibi lity is by influencing cortisol secretion, as cortisol is implicated in inf lammatory processes and relaxation has been shown to alter cortisol secreti on in healthy individuals. This study explored the effect of relaxation tra ining on cortisol levels and cortisol reactivity to stress in asthmatics. T wenty adult asthmatics participated for 21 days in their natural environmen t, and received relaxation training halfway through the study. Cortisol was assessed from saliva five times per day for three weeks. Relaxation traini ng was successful, but did not lead to the hypothesized reduction in overal l cortisol levels. Participants using corticosteroid medication showed incr eases in cortisol after relaxation, whereas those not using corticosteroids showed decreases in cortisol (p < .05). Relaxation altered the cortisol re activity to stress (p = .007); before relaxation training cortisol levels i ncreased after a stressor, whereas following relaxation training cortisol l evels decreased after a stressor. This study suggests that relaxation train ing can influence cortisol secretion in asthmatics, but that these effects differ from those observed in healthy individuals and may be influenced by corticosteroid medication use.