Why the study?
Do higher cortisol levels and gender impact the risk of depressive symptoms following planned surgery?
Do higher cortisol levels and gender impact the risk of depressive symptoms following planned surgery?
Higher cortisol levels are associated with an increased risk of post-surgical depression, with a stronger early effect in men, suggesting a mechanistic role for HPA axis alterations.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May flag men at higher early post-surgical depression risk; hypothesis-generating for cortisol as biomarker, needing prospective validation.
The impact of gender and cortisol levels on depression following planned surgery was examined in 95 men and women. Patients were assessed prior to surgery and at one and three months following surgery. Higher cortisol levels conferred greater risk for depression at one and three months following surgery. This effect was stronger for men than women at one month following surgery, but did not differ between genders at three months post-surgery. Results support a mechanistic role of HPA alterations in depression following a surgical stressor that differs in strength between men and women.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Pinna et al. (2009) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: