BACKGROUND Cortisol is a key stress hormone implicated in the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. Longitudinal information on cortisol exposure has been restricted to animal models and a small number of human studies. The purpose of the present study was to quantify longitudinal change in cortisol across the adult life span. METHODS We conducted a prospective longitudinal study of 24-hour urinary free cortisol excretion from ages 20 to 90 years and older. Participants were 1,814 men and women from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging who provided a total of 5,527 urine specimens for analysis. The average duration of longitudinal follow-up was 6.6 years. The primary outcome measure was 24-hour urinary free cortisol to creatinine ratio (UFC/Cr) as determined by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. RESULTS UFC/Cr follows a U-shaped pattern across the life span with decreases in UFC/Cr in the 20s and 30s, relative stability in the 40s and 50s, and increases thereafter. This pattern of change was robust with respect to adjustment for several potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS Age-related changes in cortisol exposure raise important questions about the potential protective or exacerbating role of cortisol exposure in predicting medical, physiological, and behavioral outcomes.

中文翻译：

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整个成年期皮质醇水平的纵向变化。

背景皮质醇是与许多与年龄相关的疾病的发病机理有关的关键应激激素。有关皮质醇暴露的纵向信息仅限于动物模型和少数人体研究。本研究的目的是量化整个成年期皮质醇的纵向变化。方法 我们对 20 至 90 岁及以上的 24 小时尿游离皮质醇排泄进行了前瞻性纵向研究。参与者是来自巴尔的摩衰老纵向研究的 1,814 名男性和女性，他们总共提供了 5,527 份尿液样本进行分析。纵向随访的平均持续时间为 6.6 年。主要结局指标是通过液相色谱/质谱法测定的 24 小时尿游离皮质醇与肌酐比 (UFC/Cr)。结果 UFC/Cr 在整个生命周期中遵循 U 形模式，UFC/Cr 在 20 和 30 年代降低，在 40 和 50 年代相对稳定，然后增加。这种变化模式在对几个潜在混杂因素的调整方面是稳健的。结论 皮质醇暴露的年龄相关变化提出了关于皮质醇暴露在预测医学、生理和行为结果方面的潜在保护作用或加剧作用的重要问题。