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Clinical Studies and Practice

Cortisol and ghrelin concentrations following a cold pressor stress test in overweight individuals with and without night eating

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 1104–1108 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To explore appetite-related hormones following stress in overweight individuals, and their relationship with night eating (NE) status.

Method:

We measured plasma cortisol and ghrelin concentrations, and recorded ratings of stress and hunger in response to a physiological laboratory stressor (cold pressor test, CPT), in overweight women with (n=11; NE) and without (n=17; non-NE) NE.

Results:

Following the CPT, cortisol (P<0.001) and ghrelin (P<0.05) levels increased, as did stress and hunger ratings (all P<0.001), across all subjects (NE and non-NE). NE exhibited higher baseline cortisol (P<0.05) levels than non-NE. NE also had greater cortisol area under the curve (AUC) than non-NE (P=0.019), but not when controlling for baseline cortisol levels. Ghrelin baseline and AUC did not differ between groups. NE showed higher AUC stress (P<0.05), even when controlling for baseline stress.

Discussion:

Overweight individuals showed increased cortisol, ghrelin, stress and hunger following a laboratory stressor, and there was some evidence for greater increases in cortisol and subjective stress among NE. The greater AUC cortisol level in NE was due to higher baseline levels, but the group difference in stress was in direct response to the stressor. Our results support a role for cortisol and stress in NE.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Sami A Hashim, MD for medical supervision, Margarita Lorence for assistance, and Leora Benson and Ku-Yu (Virginia) Chang for help with manuscript preparation. Support was provided in part by NIH grants R01 DK 54318, R01 DK 074046 (AG), K99 088360 (SC), DK 07559 (MG) and MO1 RROO64529 (Columbia University GCRC). Anthropometrics and UWW results were provided by the Body Composition Lab, and cortisol and ghrelin assays were provided by the Hormone-Metabolite Lab, core service labs of the New York Obesity Center, DK 26687.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center, St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA

    A Geliebter & S Carnell

  2. Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, DHHS, AZ, USA

    M E Gluck

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  1. A Geliebter
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Correspondence to A Geliebter.

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Geliebter, A., Carnell, S. & Gluck, M. Cortisol and ghrelin concentrations following a cold pressor stress test in overweight individuals with and without night eating. Int J Obes 37, 1104–1108 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.166

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