Table 2.
Cross-sectional association between cortisol and cognitive function, assessed in 2002/2004a
| Cortisol measures | M (SD) nmol/L | Cognitive function |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory |
Reasoning (AH 4-I) |
Verbal fluency |
||
| Beta (95% CI) | Beta (95% CI) | Beta (95% CI) | ||
| Waking cortisol (tertile) | 8.20 (2.65) | REF | REF | REF |
| 14.88 (1.82) | 0.02 (−0.06, 0.10) | 0.03 (−0.04, 0.10) | 0.00 (−0.08, 0.08) | |
| 25.24 (6.37) | −0.00 (−0.08, 0.08) | 0.08 (0.00, 0.15)b | −0.01 (−0.09, 0.06) | |
| 1 SD increment, log | −0.00 (−0.03, 0.03) | 0.02 (−0.01, 0.05) | −0.01 (−0.04, 0.02) | |
| CAR (tertile) | −4.58 (5.91) | REF | REF | REF |
| 6.55 (2.51) | 0.03 (−0.05, 0.11) | 0.02 (−0.05, 0.09) | 0.06 (−0.01, 0.14) | |
| 19.38 (7.69) | 0.05 (−0.03, 0.13) | −0.05 (−0.12, 0.03) | 0.06 (−0.02, 0.13) | |
| 1 SD increment | 0.01 (−0.02, 0.05) | −0.03 (−0.05, 0.00) | 0.01 (−0.03, 0.04) | |
| Diurnal slope (tertile) | −0.16 (0.02) | REF | REF | REF |
| −0.13 (0.01) | −0.04 (−0.12, 0.04) | 0.00 (−0.07, 0.07) | −0.00 (−0.07, 0.08) | |
| −0.10 (0.01) | −0.06 (−0.15, 0.02) | 0.02 (−0.06, 0.09) | −0.05 (−0.13, 0.03) | |
| 1 SD increment | −0.02 (−0.06, 0.01) | −0.00 (−0.03, 0.02) | −0.02 (−0.05, 0.01) | |
| Bedtime cortisol (tertile) | 0.71 (0.29) | REF | REF | REF |
| 1.67 (0.32) | −0.06 (−0.14, 0.02) | 0.01 (−0.06, 0.08) | −0.00 (−0.07, 0.08) | |
| 5.04 (4.56) | −0.07 (−0.15, 0.01) | −0.01 (−0.08, 0.06) | −0.04 (−0.12, 0.03) | |
| 1 SD increment, log | −0.02 (−0.06, 0.01) | −0.01 (−0.04, 0.02) | −0.01 (−0.05, 0.02) | |
| Mean cortisol (tertile) | 4.66 (0.96) | REF | REF | REF |
| 6.85 (0.59) | 0.00 (−0.08, 0.08) | 0.01 (−0.06, 0.08) | 0.03 (−0.04, 0.11) | |
| 10.26 (2.34) | 0.01 (−0.07, 0.10) | 0.02 (−0.05, 0.09) | 0.02 (−0.06, 0.10) | |
| 1 SD increment | 0.00 (−0.03, 0.04) | 0.00 (−0.03, 0.03) | −0.01 (−0.04, 0.02) | |
Analysis adjusted for age, sex, education, ethnicity, waking time, time between waking and first measure of cortisol, seasonality, depressive symptoms, stress, Framingham cardiovascular risk score, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, medication for cardiovascular disease, and antidepressants.
N = 3229.
Key: AH 4-I, Alice Heim 4-I; CAR, cortisol-awakening response; CI, confidence interval; M, mean; REF, reference; SD, standard deviation.
a
Cognitive data have been converted to z-scores for the analysis.
b
p < 0.05.