Relationship between lifestyle scores and salivary stress markers cortisol and chromogranin A.

The authors evaluated individuals' lifestyles and investigated the relationship between lifestyle scores and the incidence of salivary stress markers cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA). Saliva samples from 173 healthy male workers were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for salivary cortisol and CgA levels. Questionnaires concerning lifestyle were administered: respondents aged 20-39 years who had good scores for comprehensive lifestyle showed significantly lower levels of cortisol than did respondents with moderate or poor comprehensive lifestyle scores. Respondents aged 40-59 who scored better for general lifestyle than they did during the previous year showed significantly lower levels of CgA than did respondents reporting no improvement. These findings suggest that levels of salivary cortisol may be affected by current circumstances and that levels of CgA may be affected by changes in comprehensive lifestyle.