Table 3.
Cortisol in 2002/2004 as a predictor of cognitive decline between 2002/2004 and 2007/2009a
| 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) | REFb(beta = −0.28)c | REFb(beta = −0.07)c | REFb(beta = −0.16)c |
| 14.88 (1.82) | 0.01 (−0.07, 0.09) | 0.04 (0.00, 0.09)d | 0.01 (−0.05, 0.07) | |
| 25.24 (6.37) | −0.01 (−0.10, 0.07) | −0.00 (−0.04, 0.04) | 0.01 (−0.05, 0.06) | |
| 1 SD increment, log | −0.01 (−0.04, 0.03) | 0.00 (−0.02, 0.02) | 0.00 (−0.02, 0.03) | |
| CAR (tertile) | −4.58 (5.90) | REFb(beta = −0.29)c | REFb(beta = −0.06)c | REFb(beta = −0.13)c |
| 6.55 (2.51) | 0.01 (−0.07, 0.10) | 0.01 (−0.03, 0.06) | −0.05 (−0.11, 0.01) | |
| 19.38 (7.69) | −0.00 (−0.08, 0.08) | −0.02 (−0.06, 0.02) | −0.03 (−0.09, 0.03) | |
| 1 SD increment | 0.00 (−0.03, 0.04) | −0.01 (−0.02, 0.01) | −0.01 (−0.03, 0.02) | |
| Diurnal slope (tertile) | −0.16 (0.02) | REFb(beta = −0.30)c | REFb(beta = −0.04)c | REFb(beta = −0.16)c |
| −0.13 (0.01) | 0.02 (−0.06, 0.10) | −0.02 (−0.06, 0.02) | 0.01 (−0.05, 0.07) | |
| −0.10 (0.01) | 0.04 (−0.05, 0.12) | −0.03 (−0.07, 0.01) | −0.01 (−0.06, 0.05) | |
| 1 SD increment | 0.02 (−0.02, 0.05) | −0.01 (−0.03, 0.01) | −0.00 (−0.02, 0.02) | |
| Bedtime cortisol (tertile) | 0.71 (0.29) | REFb(beta = −0.31)c | REFb(beta = −0.05)c | REFb(beta = −0.15)c |
| 1.67 (0.32) | 0.03 (−0.05, 0.11) | −0.01 (−0.06, 0.03) | −0.02 (−0.07, 0.04) | |
| 5.04 (4.56) | 0.04 (−0.04, 0.12) | −0.00 (−0.04, 0.04) | −0.00 (−0.06, 0.06) | |
| 1 SD increment, log | 0.01 (−0.02, 0.05) | −0.01 (−0.02, 0.01) | −0.01 (−0.03, 0.02) | |
| Mean cortisol (tertile) | 4.66 (0.96) | REFb(beta = −0.27)c | REFb(beta = −0.04)c | REFb(beta = −0.14)c |
| 6.85 (0.59) | −0.06 (−0.14, 0.02) | −0.03 (−0.07, 0.02) | −0.03 (−0.08, 0.03) | |
| 10.26 (2.34) | 0.02 (−0.06, 0.11) | −0.04 (−0.08, 0.00) | −0.03 (−0.09, 0.03) | |
| 1 SD increment | 0.00 (−0.03, 0.04) | −0.02 (−0.03, 0.00) | −0.01 (−0.03, 0.01) | |
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
Reference category; subscript beta shows the adjusted standardized cognitive decline in the reference category 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, CVD medication, and antidepressants.
c
p < 0.01.
d
p < 0.05.