The effect of an adverse psychological environment on salivary cortisol levels in the elderly differs by 5-HTTLPR genotype

Abstract

BACKGROUND: An adverse psychological environment (e.g. stressful events or depression) has been shown to influence basal cortisol levels and cortisol response to stress. This differs depending on the adverse stimuli, but also varies across individuals and may be influenced by genetic predisposition. An insertion/deletion polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is a strong candidate in this regard. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how stressful life events and depression are associated with diurnal cortisol levels in community-dwelling elderly and determine whether this varies according to genetic variability in the 5-HTTLPR. METHODS: This population-based study included 334 subjec..