Serum Uric Acid, Cholesterol, and Cortisol Levels

Repeated determinations of serum uric acid, cholesterol, and cortisol levels were done three times a week on 20 healthy young Navy men during a 16-week underwater demolition team (UDT) training course, a period of considerable physical and psychological stress. The intraindividual correlations between uric acid and cholesterol levels, uric acid and cortisol levels, and cholesterol and cortisol levels all showed a considerable range of values, both positive and negative, and several of the correlations were statistically significant. However, across-subjects correlations of the mean values of these measures were of low order, which indicated that a cross-sectional sampling design can mask the considerable variability in intraindividual values. This variability indicates that there can be a considerable individuality in patterns of biochemical response and adaptation to stress.