Children and healthy volunteers aged 1-60 years old. In the morning, blood cortisol in female subject aged 9-12 is higher than in male and the blood level of cortisol is highest at the age group of 21-40. In aldult volunteer, blood level is highest in morning and lowest in evening (only 50% vessus morning value). In the morning there is no difference between male – female in the same locality and the difference of value is no significant between 3 various location
Blood ; Geographic Locations ; Gender Identity ; Hydrocortisone

PURPOSE: This study investigated whether hormones and pain perception are associated with exam anxiety, and also whether exam anxiety is affected by seasonal differences in testosterone and cortisol levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six healthy males were recruited from a medical college. Anxiety was induced by having participants perform the Objective Structured Clinical Examination. Pressure was applied to the participants to induce pain. Pain thresholds, pain ratings, anxiety ratings, blood pressure, heart rate, salivary testosterone and cortisol levels were measured under resting and anxiety conditions in the spring and summer. Data were collected from 46 participants during the spring (n=25) and summer (n=21). RESULTS: Pain thresholds and testosterone levels were significantly lower under anxiety than at rest for all participants (n=46), while cortisol levels, pain ratings, and anxiety ratings were significantly higher under anxiety than at rest. In the spring (n=25), testosterone levels were significantly higher at rest than under anxiety, while there was no difference in cortisol levels between resting and anxiety conditions. In the summer (n=21), cortisol levels were significantly higher under anxiety than at rest, while there was no difference in testosterone levels between resting and anxiety conditions. There were no significant seasonal differences in pain and anxiety ratings and pain threshold. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that seasonal differences in testosterone and cortisol levels under anxiety and at rest may affect pain responses. These results also suggest that acute clinical pain may be relieved by managing anxiety that is related to a decrease of testosterone in spring and a large increase of cortisol in summer.
Adult ; Anxiety/*blood ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/*blood ; Male ; Pain/*blood/*physiopathology ; Seasons ; Testosterone/*blood ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the changes in serum levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in children with septic shock (SS) and to explore their relationship with the disease severity and prognosis.

METHODSTwenty-five children with decompensated SS and 24 children with early SS were enrolled. Serum cortisol and ACTH levels were determined on admission and days 3 and 8 after admission. Twenty-five healthy children were used as the control group. The children with decompensated SS were further divided into death group (n=5) and survival group (n=20) based on their clinical outcome.

RESULTSOn admission, the decompensated SS and early SS groups had significantly higher serum cortisol and ACTH levels than the control group (P<0.05), and the decompensated SS group had significantly higher serum cortisol and ACTH levels than the early SS group. On day 3 after admission, the decompensated SS group had significantly higher serum cortisol and ACTH levels than the early SS and control groups (P<0.05), and the early SS group had a significantly higher serum ACTH level than the control group (P<0.05). Among the children with decompensated SS, the death group had significantly higher serum cortisol and ACTH levels than the survival group on admission (P<0.01); on day 3 after admission, the death group still had a significantly higher serum cortisol level than the survival group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSChildren with SS have increased serum cortisol and ACTH levels, which are associated with the disease severity. A persistent high serum cortisol level indicates a poor prognosis. Dynamic monitoring of serum cortisol and ACTH levels in children with SS is of great significance in evaluating the disease severity and prognosis.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Infant ; Male ; Shock, Septic ; blood ; mortality

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-week Tai Chi exercise program on reducing blood pressure for hypertensive patients. METHOD: A non-equivalent pretest-posttest experimental design was used. Participants were recruited from the Community Health Center in Busan, Korea. Twenty-eight hypertensive patients participated in this study. Among them, fourteen were in the experimental group and the rest are in the control group. Members in the experimental group participated in a 6- week program of Tai Chi exercise. In order to evaluate the effects of the Tai Chi program, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and cortisol level were measured before and after week 6. RESULT: After the 6-week Tai Chi program, there were significant differences in systolic pressure (t=-3.13, p= .004) and diastolic blood pressure (t=-4.75, p= .000) in the experimental group when compared to the control group. However there were no significant differences in the total cholesterol (t=1.07, p=.294) and cortisol level (F=1.35, p= .256). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a 6-week Tai Chi program can be utilized as an effective nursing program to reduce blood pressure for hypertensive patients.
*Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/*blood ; Hypertension/blood/physiopathology/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Tai Ji

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-week Tai Chi exercise program on reducing blood pressure for hypertensive patients. METHOD: A non-equivalent pretest-posttest experimental design was used. Participants were recruited from the Community Health Center in Busan, Korea. Twenty-eight hypertensive patients participated in this study. Among them, fourteen were in the experimental group and the rest are in the control group. Members in the experimental group participated in a 6- week program of Tai Chi exercise. In order to evaluate the effects of the Tai Chi program, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and cortisol level were measured before and after week 6. RESULT: After the 6-week Tai Chi program, there were significant differences in systolic pressure (t=-3.13, p= .004) and diastolic blood pressure (t=-4.75, p= .000) in the experimental group when compared to the control group. However there were no significant differences in the total cholesterol (t=1.07, p=.294) and cortisol level (F=1.35, p= .256). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a 6-week Tai Chi program can be utilized as an effective nursing program to reduce blood pressure for hypertensive patients.
*Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/*blood ; Hypertension/blood/physiopathology/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Tai Ji

OBJECTIVETo explore the dynamic change of serum cortisol and insulin levels, and their relation with blood glucose concentration in asphyxiated neonates.

METHODSThe levels of serum cortisol and insulin at d1,d3 and d7 of birth were measured by radioimmunoassay and the concentration of blood glucose was measured with glucose oxidase method in 43 asphyxiated neonates.

RESULTSThe levels of serum cortisol at d 1, d 3 and d 7 of birth were gradually decreased (P<0.01). At d1, the incidence of hyperinsulism (>20 mIU/L) was 60.5%. The level of serum insulin reached normal level (blood glucose (r=0.432, P<0.01), the ratio of serum insulin and cortisol in hypoglycemia group (0.71+/-0.71) was significantly higher than that in normal blood glucose group (0.19+/-0.36, P<0.01). The incidence of hypoglycemia in hyperinsulism group was markedly higher than that in normal serum insulin group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere are temporary hyperinsulism in asphyxiated neonates. Hypoglycemia in asphyxiated neonates is related with hyperinsulism and low serum cortisol level.

Asphyxia Neonatorum ; blood ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Insulin ; blood ; Male ; Radioimmunoassay

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), cortisol (CO), testosterone (T), serum estradiol (E2) and Cold Syndrome and Heat Syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine.

METHODSThe blood levels of FT3, FT4, T, E2, CO in groups of sthenic Heat (SH), sthenic Cold (SC), asthenic Heat (AH) and asthenic Cold (AC) and the healthy control group were measured. The number of cases in each group was 50.

RESULTS(1) FT3 and FT4 were higher in Heat Syndrome than that in Cold Syndrome in the order of AH > SH > control > SC > AC, it revealed that the basal metabolic rate and oxygen consumption in Heat Syndrome were increased, while it in Cold Syndrome, it declined. (2) CO was higher in SH, SC than that in AH and AC, the order was SC > SH > control > AH > AC, it revealed that CO was one of the factors correlated to asthenic and sthenic syndrome, but not relevant to Heat Syndrome and Cold Syndrome. (3) T was higher in Heat Syndrome than that in Cold Syndrome, but E2 showed the opposite, suggesting that T was one of the factors for forming Heat Syndrome, and E2 for Cold Syndrome.

CONCLUSIONThe levels of FT3, FT4, T, E2 are basis of pathophysiology related with forming HS and CS.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Communicable Diseases ; blood ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; blood ; Testosterone ; blood ; Thyroxine ; blood ; Triiodothyronine ; blood

Urodynamic evaluation is an invasive and uncomfortable procedure that can cause physical distress and is difficult to perform in uncooperative patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of consciousness on urodynamic evaluation in an animal model. Repeated cystometry, electromyogram, and measurement of serum cortisol concentrations were performed in female cats under conscious (CON), conscious sedation (CS) and deep anesthesia (DA) conditions. Urodynamic evaluation showed that there were no statistical differences in maximum detrusor pressure or bladder capacity observed among the three conditions. Under the DA condition, but not the CON and CS conditions, bladder contraction was accompanied by an un-relaxed anal sphincter. Residue urine volume significantly increased in the DA condition compared to the CON and CS conditions. The levels of serum cortisol significantly increased after performing urodynamic evaluation under the CON condition, whereas these levels were not significantly increased under the CS and DA conditions. This study showed that conscious sedation has no adverse effects on the urodynamic variables, and that it significantly reduces distress in cats undergoing the examination. These results may provide novel insights for performing urodynamic studies in uncooperative patients.
Animals ; Cats ; *Consciousness ; Female ; Hydrocortisone/blood ; Models, Animal ; Urinary Bladder/physiology ; Urination/physiology ; Urodynamics/*physiology

BACKGROUND: Hypoglycemic episodes in patients under hemodialysis have been known to be caused by the removal of glucose through dialyzer membrane and is one of the important factors causing discomfort, especially in patients with diabetes. We studied frequency of hypoglycemia, characteristics of patients and their underlying disease and changes of glucagon and cortisol levels during dialysis. We also studied whether continuous glucose injection could prevent hypoglycemic episodes during dialysis with dialysate lacking glucose. METHODS: Forty-four patients under hemodialysis treatment were enrolled. All patients were observed for 5 sessions of dialysis before enrolled in glucose injection therapy. Their blood were collected at time 0, 2 and 4 hours after starting final session of dialysis. After one month, blood samples were collected at the same time interval during dialysis with continuous glucose injection (50% glucose solution, 12.5 g/h). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (DM 12 patients, non-DM 10 patients) showed their blood glucose level less than 60 mg/dL during dialysis. Among these patients, 3 patients did not complain any hypoglycemic symptoms. No patient showed hypoglycemia under continuous glucose injection during dialysis. Frequency of random glucose injection according to patients' complaint was significantly decreased during continuous glucose injection. Urea reduction rate was not affected by glucose injection. There was no significant difference in patients' characteristics and their underlying diseases, basal and amount of changes of glucagon and cortisol concentration during dialysis regardless episode of hypoglycemia. CONCLUSION: Hypoglycemic episode during hemodialysis occurs as frequently in non-diabetic patients as in diabetic patients. Continuous glucose injection could be an effective and convenient method to prevent hypoglycemia during hemodialysis in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dialysis ; Glucagon ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypoglycemia* ; Membranes ; Renal Dialysis* ; Urea

PURPOSE: Long-term stress to the fetus causes alterations in adrenal steroidogenesis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of cord blood cortisol with stress during delivery. METHODS: Cord blood samples were collected from 58 neonates at once to labor. Cortisol was measured by RIA method(DPC, USA). Cortisol level according to gestational age(<34, 34-37, >38 wks) and method of delivery(Cesarean section vs. vaginal delivery), Apgar score and uterine contraction, were compared to know stress during labor. RESULTS: Cortisol of cord blood had considerable differences between each group, according to gestational age(P<0.001). It was statistically higher in the cases of vaginal delivery than cessarian delivery(P<0.001). The concentration of cortisol was significantly higher according to duration of labor (P<0.05). There was a significant relationship between cortisol level and uterine contraction(P<0.05). The concentration of cortisol was significantly low when Apgar score at 1 min was low(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Cord cortisol has close association with stress during labor. And so do with post birth prognosis of neonate.
Apgar Score ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetus ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Infant, Newborn ; Parturition ; Prognosis ; Uterine Contraction