GENETIC DETERMINANTS OF THE STRESS RESPONSE

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. While the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can be regarded as a basic adaptive mechanism in response to stress, prolonged activation of this system presents a health risk to the organism as highly catabolic glucocorticoids antagonize insulin and increase blood pressure, thus increasing the risk for developing diabetes, hypertension, and arterial disease. Our study has the following specific aims: 1) to recruit 50 men and women ages 18-60 years into an outpatient GCRC study; 2) to measure the cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST); and 3) to examine the relationship between the magnitude of the cortisol responses to psychological stress (TSST) and markers of the metabolic syndrome, including insulin sensitivity, visceral fat and bone density. Understanding the relationship between the stress response and makers of the metabolic syndrome may lead to novel strategies of diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention.