SFEBES2012 Poster Presentations Steroids (33 abstracts)
The cortisol response to hypobaric hypoxia at rest and post-exercise
Mike Stacey 1, , Andrew Davison 5 , Adrian Mellor 1, , Chris Smith 1 , Tim Hooper 1 , Dermot Neely 5 , Bob Peaston 5 , Steve Turner 5 & David Woods 1,
1Defence Medical Services, DMS, Whittington, United Kingdom; 2University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, United Kingdom; 3Dept Academic Emergency Medicine, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesborough, United Kingdom; 4Newcastle and Northumbria NHS Trusts, RVI and WGH, Newcastle, United Kingdom; 5Dept Biochemistry, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom; 6Army Medical Directorate, AMD, Camberley, United Kingdom.
High altitude exposure leads to a marked natriuresis and diuresis facilitated by a reduced resting and subdued post-exercise aldosterone. There is a strong correlation between aldosterone and cortisol at high altitude and although most, but not all, investigators report a rise in cortisol with ascent very little data exist regarding the post-exercise response in cortisol. We therefore measured salivary cortisol in a cohort of 45 subjects post-exercise and 20 subjects at rest with ascent to >5000 m in Nepal. Morning resting cortisol ( nmol/l, mean+/SD) rose between 4270 m and 5150 m (3.5±2.1 to 14.5±30.3 respectively, P=0.002). Post-exercise an initial drop in salivary cortisol between sea-level and 4270 m (P=0.01) and 3400 m and 4270 m (P=0.001) occurred followed by a significant rise in post-exercise cortisol between 4270 m and 5150 m (P<0.001). There were no significant associations between severity of Acute Mountain Sickness and cortisol levels. There was a significant correlation between cortisol post-exercise at 5150 m and oxygen saturation at 5150 m (rho=−0.451, P=0.004). In conclusion, this is the largest cohort to have their resting and post-exercise cortisol levels ascertained at high altitude. We confirm the previous findings of an elevated resting cortisol at >5000 m but present the novel finding that the post-exercise cortisol response to HA is suppressed at 4270 m in line with previous reports regarding aldosterone. The mechanism involved remains to be elucidated but may relate to a disconnection between ACTH and cortisol akin to that of renin and aldosterone at high altitude.
Declaration of interest: There is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.
Funding: No specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.
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Endocrine Abstracts
ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)
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