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Stress-related and basic determinants of hair cortisol in humans: A meta-analysis
Abstract
The analysis of hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) is a relatively new strategy to measure long-term cumulative cortisol levels, which is increasingly used in psychoneuroendocrinological research. Here, we conduct a first comprehensive meta-analysis of HCC research based on aggregated data from a total of 124 (sub)samples (66 independent studies; total N=10,289). We seek to answer two central questions: (i) Which covariates and basic features of HCC need to be considered in future research? (ii) What are the main determinants of HCC in terms of chronic stress exposure and mental health? Concerning basic characteristics, our findings identify several covariates to be considered (age, sex, hair washing frequency, hair treatment, oral contraceptive use), confirm a decline of HCC from the first to the second proximal 3cm hair segment, and show positive associations between HCC and short-term salivary cortisol measures. Regarding chronic stress, we show that stress-exposed groups on a whole exhibit 22% increased HCC. This long-term cortisol hypersecretion emerges particularly when stress is still ongoing at the time of study (+43% HCC) but is not present in conditions of past/absent stress (-9% HCC, n.s.). We also report evidence for 17%-reduced HCC in anxiety disorders, such as PTSD. Interestingly, no consistent associations with mood disorders and self-reports of perceived stress, depressiveness or social support are found. However, our findings reveal positive associations of HCC with stress-related anthropometric (body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio) and hemodynamic measures (systolic blood pressure). These meta-analytic results are discussed in the light of their practical implications and important areas for future inquiry are outlined.
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“Meta-analytic and descriptive reviews show that chronic stress is associated with elevated long-term cortisol secretion (Stalder et al., 2017; Staufenbiel et al., 2013), with stressor duration and recency since stressor onset being important factors in shaping basal cortisol levels (Miller et al., 2007).”
From More than a feeling: A unified view of stress measurement for population science (2018) · cites this paper as Stalder et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“Elevated hair cortisol levels in stressed populations have previously been found (reviewed in Stalder et al., 2017; Staufenbiel et al., 2013).”
From Chronic Stress, Hair Cortisol and Depression: A Prospective and Longitudinal Study of Medical Internship (2018) · cites this paper as Stalder et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“However, the first meta-analytic review, which included primarily cross-sectional studies, did not show consistent links with self-reported depressiveness (Stalder et al., 2017).”
From Chronic Stress, Hair Cortisol and Depression: A Prospective and Longitudinal Study of Medical Internship (2018) · cites this paper as Stalder et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“Cross-sectional studies have shown elevated hair cortisol in stressed populations (Stalder et al., 2017; Staufenbiel et al., 2013)”
From Chronic Stress, Hair Cortisol and Depression: A Prospective and Longitudinal Study of Medical Internship (2018) · cites this paper as Stalder et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“Our results are consistent with a recent meta-analysis that found no clear relationships between hair cortisol and self-reported depressiveness (Stalder et al., 2017).”
From Chronic Stress, Hair Cortisol and Depression: A Prospective and Longitudinal Study of Medical Internship (2018) · cites this paper as Stalder et al., 2017
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Interaction of schizophrenia polygenic risk and cortisol level on pre-adolescent brain structure
Bolhuis, K., Tiemeier, H. W., Jansen, P. R., Muetzel, R. L., Neumann, A., Hillegers, M. H. J., van den Akker, E. L. T., van Rossum, E. F. C., Jaddoe, V. W. V., Vernooij, M. W., et al. (2018) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.231 · Cited by 23
“, 2012) and have been demonstrated to reflect chronic exposure to stress (Rippe et al., 2016; Stalder et al., 2017).”
Alterations of Stress-Related Glucocorticoids and Endocannabinoids in Hair of Chronic Cocaine Users
Voegel, C. D., Kroll, S. L., Schmid, M. W., Kexel, A.-K., Baumgartner, M. R., Kræmer, T., Binz, T. M., & Quednow, B. B. (2021) · The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyab070 · Cited by 23
“Although previous studies have reported that sex and age had an influence on hair cortisol and cortisone levels (Dettenborn et al., 2012; Stalder et al., 2017; Binz et al., 2018; Lanfear et al., 2020), we did not find any effects of these covariates for glucocorticoids in the present sample.”
BackgroundResultKing, L. S., Humphreys, K. L., Cole, D. A., & Gotlib, I. H. (2021) · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100102 · Cited by 23
“Consistent with meta-analytic data from pregnant and non-pregnant people documenting no robust associations between mood disorders and HCC [39] and with evidence from a systematic review indicating no consistent association between depression and pre-natal cortisol measured in hair, saliva, or…”
ResultPerceived stress and hair cortisol concentration in a study of Mexican and Icelandic women
Lynch, R., Flores‐Torres, M. H., Hinojosa, G., Aspelund, T., Hauksdóttir, A., Kirschbaum, C., Catzín‐Kuhlmann, A., Lajous, M., & Valdimarsdóttir, U. A. (2022) · PLOS Global Public Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0000571 · Cited by 25
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Refugee mother-child dyads’ hair cortisol, post-traumatic stress, and affectionate parenting
Lembcke, H., Buchmüller, T., & Leyendecker, B. (2019) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104470 · Cited by 24
Khoury, J. E., Enlow, M. B., Patwa, M. C., & Lyons‐Ruth, K. (2020) · Developmental Psychobiology · doi:10.1002/dev.21950 · Cited by 23
“For example, a recent meta-analysis indicated that individuals who had experienced some form of chronic stress exhibited 22%– 43% increased HCC compared to those who were not chronically stressed (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundMethodBryson, H., Mensah, F. K., Goldfeld, S. R., Price, A. M. H., & Giallo, R. (2020) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-020-01537-0 · Cited by 23
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“Human scalp hair grows at a speed of approximately 1 cm per month, HCC of 3 cm hair strands retrospectively reflect cortisol levels for the period of three months [32].”
BackgroundJia, X., Chen, Q., Zhang, Y., & Asakawa, T. (2023) · Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fcimb.2023.1296713 · Cited by 22
Hair cortisol as a measure of the stress response to social adversity in young children
Bryson, H., Goldfeld, S. R., Price, A. M. H., & Mensah, F. K. (2019) · Developmental Psychobiology · doi:10.1002/dev.21840 · Cited by 22
The hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system in burnout
Sjörs, A., Jónsdóttir, I. H., & Hansson, C. (2021) · Handbook of clinical neurology · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-819973-2.00006-x · Cited by 26
Diabetes and mood disorders: shared mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities
Martins, L. B., Tibães, J. R. B., Berk, M., & Teixeira, A. L. (2021) · International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1080/13651501.2021.1957117 · Cited by 22
“Cortisol causes an increase in the visceral adiposity and insulin resistance, which can favour the development of DM2 (Joseph and Golden 2017; Stalder et al. 2017; Nandam et al. 2019).”
BackgroundIntra-individual stability of hair endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine concentrations
Gao, W., Schmidt, K., Enge, S., & Kirschbaum, C. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105395 · Cited by 22
Self-citationHaucke, M. N., Golde, S., Saft, S., Hellweg, R., Liu, S., & Heinzel, S. (2022) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105894 · Cited by 26
“This mixed finding might result from the usage of HCC as a marker of HPA axis functioning, which is a rather long-term and retrospective biological marker of distress and has a relatively low association with self-reported stress in non-clinical populations (Stalder et al., 2017).”
Resilience, Stress, and Cortisol Predict Cognitive Performance in Older Adults
Sáez-Sanz, N., Peralta‐Ramírez, M. I., González-Pérez, R., Vázquéz-Justo, E., & Caracuel, A. (2023) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare11081072 · Cited by 22
“Capillary cortisol concentrations may instead be a more appropriate measure of chronic HPA axis activation in the preceding months [25].”
BackgroundInfertility and cortisol: a systematic review
Karunyam, B. V., Karim, A., Mohamed, I. N., Ugusman, A., Mohamed, W. M. Y., Faizal, A. M., Abu, M. A., & Kumar, J. (2023) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1147306 · Cited by 22
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“In this line, an independent meta-analysis found no consistent relationships between self-reported stress or depression and hair cortisol levels in pregnant women (Stalder et al., 2017).”
ResultChan, I. I., & Wu, A. M. S. (2024) · Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science · doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100294 · Cited by 30
“Cortisol is a steroid hormone synthesized from cholesterol in the adrenal gland and is widely known as the “ stress hormone ” because its level is closely and positively correlated with perceived stress (8).”
BackgroundAdrenocortical and psychosocial responses of families in Jordan to the COVID-19 pandemic
Hastings, P. D., Partington, L. C., Dajani, R. B., & von Suchodoletz, A. (2021) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.13662 · Cited by 22
“Experiencing more financial hardship has been associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in adults (Stalder et al., 2017) and children (Gray et al., 2018).”
BackgroundIgboanugo, S., O'Connor, C., Zitoun, O. A., Ramezan, R., & Mielke, J. G. (2023) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.14474 · Cited by 25
Schloß, S., Ruhl, I., Müller, V., Becker, K., Skoluda, N., Nater, U. M., & Pauli‐Pott, U. (2018) · Developmental Psychobiology · doi:10.1002/dev.21627 · Cited by 21
“For this purpose, we used the hair cortisol concentration (HCC), which appears to reliably and validly capture the accumulated, integrated long-term activity of the HPA axis (Kirschbaum et al., 1990; Short et al., 2016; Stalder et al., 2017).”
MethodDavison, B., Singh, G., Oguoma, V. M., & McFarlane, J. R. (2019) · Stress · doi:10.1080/10253890.2019.1683159 · Cited by 26
“In the past decade, hair samples have been the most commonly used measure of long-term accumulation of cortisol due to its predictable, consistent growth and ease of collection and storage (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundHair cortisol levels and mental health problems in children and adolescents exposed to victimization
de Azeredo, L. A., Viola, T. W., Rothmann, L. M., Trentin, R., Arteche, A. X., Kristensen, C. H., Buchweitz, A., & Grassi‐Oliveira, R. (2019) · Stress · doi:10.1080/10253890.2019.1690448 · Cited by 25
Ma, L., Liu, X., Yan, N., Gan, Y., Wu, Y., Li, Y., Chu, M., Chiu, D. T., & Ma, L. (2022) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.879256 · Cited by 21
Unemployment and hair cortisol as a biomarker of chronic stress
Lawes, M., Hetschko, C., Schöb, R., Stephan, G., & Eid, M. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-25775-1 · Cited by 22
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Cieszyński, Ł., Jendrzejewski, J., Wiśniewski, P., Kłosowski, P., & Sworczak, K. (2020) · Endokrynologia Polska · doi:10.5603/ep.a2020.0058 · Cited by 21
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Endocannabinoid and steroid analysis in infant and adult nails by LC–MS/MS
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“Nowadays, sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) is mainly used for the quantification of eCBs and steroid hormones in hair [17, 20].”
BackgroundMethodAssociations between hair cortisol and subjective stress measures in a large occupational sample
Planert, J., Klucken, T., Finke, J. B., Paulus, P. C., Fischer, J. E., Gao, W., & Stalder, T. (2023) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106086 · Cited by 22
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Prospective associations between burnout symptomatology and hair cortisol
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“A possible explanation is that long-term hypercortisolism induced by chronic psychosocial stress diminishes after the stress exposure has ceased (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialLaufer, S., Engel, S., LUPIEN, S. J., Knaevelsrud, C., & Schumacher, S. (2021) · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100108 · Cited by 20
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Goecke, T. W., Schnakenberg, P., Frensch, M., & Chechko, N. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm9093046 · Cited by 19
“Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is widely regarded as a biomarker of chronic stress [32].”
BackgroundOuellet‐Morin, I., Cantave, C. Y., LUPIEN, S. J., Geoffroy, M., Brendgen, M. R., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R. E., Boivin, M., & Côté, S. M. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105153 · Cited by 22
Hair cortisol levels in schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome
van den Heuvel, L. L., Smit, R., Tobias Stalder, A., Kirschbaum, C., Seedat, S., & Emsley, R. A. (2022) · Early Intervention in Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/eip.13238 · Cited by 19
“In recent years, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) have been established as a useful marker of longer-term cumulative cortisol levels (Stalder et al., 2017; Wosu et al., 2013).”
BackgroundSelf-citationAssociations between stress, resources, and hair cortisol concentration in teachers
Marca, R. L., Schneider, S., Jenni, G., Kühne, F., Holtforth, M. G., & Wettstein, A. (2023) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106291 · Cited by 27
The associations of hair cortisol and DHEA with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in refugees
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Chronic stress and emotion: Differential effects on attentional processing and recognition memory
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Hair Cortisol Concentration and Mental Disorder in Children With Chronic Physical Illness
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Status does not predict stress: Women in an egalitarian hunter–gatherer society
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“Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) levels have been found to be associated with selfperceived stress and poorer self-perceived health and mental health in people living in industrialixed contexts (Faresjö et al., 2014; Stalder et al., 2017; Staufenbiel et al., 2013).”
BackgroundPerinatal determinants of neonatal hair glucocorticoid concentrations
Stoye, D. Q., Sullivan, G., Galdi, P., Kirschbaum, C., Lamb, G. J., Black, G. S., Evans, M. J., Boardman, J. P., & Reynolds, R. M. (2021) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105223 · Cited by 19
“Furthermore, in adults the demographic correlates of hair cortisol have been established in large observational studies (Stalder et al., 2017).”
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“…Cohen et al., 2006; Janicki-Deverts et al., 2007; Miller et al., 2007; Gustafsson et al., 2010; Miller et al., 2009; Huggenberger et al., 2013; Stalder et al., 2017; Sullivan et al., 2019; Torrecilla and Barrantes-Vidal, 2023) The literature is mixed, however, with other studies finding no…”
Dance and stress regulation: A multidisciplinary narrative review
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“In general population samples, sex differences in HCC are well established, with females showing lower HCC than males [11].”
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“Furthermore, it was not possible for us to directly assess body mass index and pubertal status, confining our study to self-reported evidence regarding those two potential confounders of endocrine functioning [60].”
BackgroundSelf-citationNo association between FKBP5 gene methylation and acute and long-term cortisol output
Alexander, N., Kirschbaum, C., Stalder, T., Muehlhan, M., & Vogel, S. (2020) · Translational Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41398-020-0846-2 · Cited by 22
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“Furthermore, a meta- analysis reporting higher hair cortisol concentrations in chronic stress, identified a positive association between measures of salivary and hair cortisol (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundVeitch, J., Timperio, A. F., Salmon, J., Hall, S. J., Abbott, G., Flowers, E. P., & Turner, A. I. (2022) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127660 · Cited by 19
Scholz, C., Baumgartner, M. R., Kræmer, T., & Binz, T. M. (2022) · Analytical Methods · doi:10.1039/d2ay01325h · Cited by 17
Shin, S. H., Hur, G., Kim, N. R., Park, J. H. Y., Lee, K. W., & Yang, H. Y. (2023) · Food & Function · doi:10.1039/d2fo03466b · Cited by 17
González, A., Catherine, N. L. A., Boyle, M., Jack, S. M., Atkinson, L. R., Kobor, M. S., Sheehan, D., Tonmyr, L., Waddell, C., & MacMillan, H. L. (2018) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018915 · Cited by 17
“Biological samples: primary outcomes for the HFS Maternal hair cortisol Hair cortisol analysis is emerging as a biomarker for chronic stress because systemic cortisol is understood to be incorporated into the hair shaft during hair growth.(101) To measure maternal physiological stress during pregnancy and early in the…”
van den Heuvel, L. L., Wright, S. L., Suliman, S., Tobias Stalder, A., Kirschbaum, C., & Seedat, S. (2019) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-018-0936-x · Cited by 16
“A recent meta-analysis of hair cortisol studies reported lower hair cortisol levels in patients with anxiety disorders (PTSD and generalised anxiety disorder [GAD]) [17], suggesting that adding newer tissue sampling methods could enhance the understanding of HPA axis function in PTSD.”
BackgroundSelf-citationScalp hair cortisol and testosterone levels in patients with sarcoidosis
van Manen, M. J. G., Wester, V. L., van Rossum, E. F. C., van den Toorn, L. M., Dorst, K. Y., de Rijke, Y. B., & Wijsenbeek, M. S. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215763 · Cited by 18
Hennessey, E. P., Kepinska, O., Haft, S. L., Chan, M., Sunshine, I., Jones, C. L., Hancock, R., & Hoeft, F. (2020) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107946 · Cited by 23
Cortisol trajectory, melancholia, and response to electroconvulsive therapy
Mickey, B. J., Ginsburg, Y., Sitzmann, A. F., Grayhack, C., Sen, S., Kirschbaum, C., Maixner, D. F., & Abelson, J. L. (2018) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.007 · Cited by 18
“First, as highlighted in a recent meta-analysis, several variables can confound hair cortisol measurements -- notably, age, sex, body mass index, oral contraceptives, frequency of hair washing, and hair treatments (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationCan hair steroids predict pregnancy longevity?
Schonblum, A., Arnon, L., Ravid, E., Salzer, L., Hadar, E., Meizner, I., Wiznitzer, A., Weller, A., & Koren, L. (2018) · Reproductive Biology · doi:10.1016/j.repbio.2018.09.004 · Cited by 17
Is forest bathing a panacea for mental health problems? A narrative review
Chen, H., Meng, Z., & Luo, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1454992 · Cited by 16
Bürgin, D., Clemens, V., Varghese, N., Eckert, A., Huber, M., Bruttin, E., Boonmann, C., Unternährer, E., O'Donovan, A., & Schmid, M. (2022) · Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health · doi:10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100524 · Cited by 14
Karl, M., Huth, V., Schälicke, S., Müller-Stark, C., Weise, V., Mack, J. T., Kirschbaum, C., Weidner, K., Garthus‐Niegel, S., & Steudte‐Schmiedgen, S. (2022) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105952 · Cited by 17
Self-citationDobernecker, J., Spyridou, A., Elbert, T. R., Schauer, M., Garthus‐Niegel, S., Ruf‐Leuschner, M., & Schalinski, I. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-28151-9 · Cited by 17
Stress exposure, hand preference, and hand skill: A deep phenotyping approach
Mundorf, A., Getzmann, S., Gajewski, P. D., Larra, M. F., Wascher, E., & Ocklenburg, S. (2023) · Laterality Asymmetries of Body Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1080/1357650x.2023.2204551 · Cited by 16
“…stress, a meta-analysis spanning 10,289 individuals revealed that several factors such as age, gender, frequency of hair washing, and body mass index influenced hair cortisol concentration but no association was found between hair cortisol and self-reported perceived stress (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundPsychoemotional stress as a risk factor for the development of noncommunicable diseases
Ильинична, Г. Л., Balanova, Y. А., Евстифеева, С. Е., Имаева, А. Э., Владимировна, К. А., Kotova, M. B., Maksimov, S. A., Аркадьевна, М. Г., & Shalnova, S. A. (2023) · Russian Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.17116/profmed202326081114 · Cited by 16
von Werdt, L., Binz, T. M., Tuura, R., Schmid, A., Naef, N., Rousson, V., Kretschmar, O., Liamlahi, R., Latal, B., & Ehrler, M. (2024) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55373 · Cited by 16
Lee, K. M., Wang, C., Du, H., Hunger, J., & Tomiyama, A. (2024) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2024.107573 · Cited by 17
“Our null findings for cortisol reflect the mixed literature on hair cortisol at large (Stalder et al., 2017).”
Petimar, J., Rifas‐Shiman, S. L., Hivert, M., Fleisch, A. F., Tiemeier, H. W., & Oken, E. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0228769 · Cited by 16
“Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is a relatively new measure of systemic cortisol concentration and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity [1, 2].”
BackgroundWang, J., Guan, Q., Sheng, Y., Yang, Y., Guo, L., Li, W., Gu, Y., & Han, C. (2020) · Neurosurgical Review · doi:10.1007/s10143-020-01256-9 · Cited by 15
Lang, J., Stickel, S., Gaum, P. M., Habel, U., Bertram, J., Eickhoff, S. B., & Chechko, N. (2021) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo11120815 · Cited by 16
“Given that the meta-analytic findings indicated different associations of HCC with different strain-exposed subgroups [4], our comparisons involved, in addition to healthy women (ND), women who developed postpartum depression (PPD), which affects up to 11% of mothers [9], and those with postpartum adjustment disorder…”
BackgroundResultInfluentialGao, W., Penz, M. S., Wekenborg, M., Walther, A., & Kirschbaum, C. (2019) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.032 · Cited by 16
Self-citationEffects of psychosocial work characteristics on hair cortisol – findings from a post-trial study
Herr, R. M., Barrech, A., Gündel, H., Lang, J., Quinete, N. S., Angerer, P., & Li, J. (2017) · Stress · doi:10.1080/10253890.2017.1340452 · Cited by 15
“One reason might be that significant HCC elevation requires chronic stress exposure above a certain intensity level to exhaust regulatory capacities of the endocrine system (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialFaresjö, Å., Theodorsson, E., Stomby, A., Quist, H., Jones, M. P., Östgren, C. J., Dahlqvist, P. M., & Faresjö, T. (2024) · BMC Cardiovascular Disorders · doi:10.1186/s12872-024-04221-2 · Cited by 15
“Although HCC tends to increase with aging [14], there were no significant age differences in HCC for this middle-aged cohort.”
BackgroundWacker, E., Fischer, A., & Schorlemmer, J. (2021) · Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology · doi:10.1186/s12995-021-00303-5 · Cited by 17
Sadoughi, B., Lacroix, L., Berbesque, J. C., Meunier, H., & Lehmann, J. (2021) · Stress · doi:10.1080/10253890.2021.1998443 · Cited by 19
“We also included the interaction of z.age and sex to explore sex-specific changes of cortisol with age (Stalder et al., 2017).”
BackgroundMethodPeng, F., Palazzi, P., Mezzache, S., Bourokba, N., Sœur, J., & Appenzeller, B. M. R. (2022) · European Journal of Endocrinology · doi:10.1530/eje-22-0081 · Cited by 15
Maternal stress and hair cortisol among pregnant women following hurricane Florence
Howells, M. E., Wander, K., Rivera, L., Arfouni, C., Benhelal, O., Galeano, M. A. O., Schultz, L., Flock, N., & Dancause, K. N. (2022) · American Journal of Human Biology · doi:10.1002/ajhb.23847 · Cited by 15
“…collected and fairly easily—it is important to note that retention of cortisol within hair may be affected by behavioral factors like hair washing (Rippe et al., 2016; Stalder et al., 2017) and environmental factors like sun exposure (Wester et al., 2016) which are unaccounted for in our analyses.”
BackgroundMartins, R. C., Tovo‐Rodrigues, L., Oliveira, I. O., Blumenberg, C., Bertoldi, A. D., da Silveira, M. F., Domingues, M. R., Silveira, M. P. T., González, A., & Murray, J. (2023) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106027 · Cited by 15
“The overwhelming majority of studies using hair cortisol as a marker of chronic stress have been conducted in high-income countries, while 84% of the global population live in low- and middle-income countries, including many of the world’s communities most vulnerable to stress, and characterized by highly unequal livi…”
InfluentialStress specifically deteriorates working memory in peripheral neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia
Jacobsen, H. B., Brun, A., Stubhaug, A., & Rème, S. E. (2023) · Brain Communications · doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcad194 · Cited by 15
“Cortisol in hair could thus provide a more reliable approach, as it is a retrospective long-term biomarker of chronic stress.(22) Four previous studies have assessed hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in chronic pain.”
BackgroundSears, C. G., Liu, Y., Lanphear, B. P., Buckley, J. P., Meyer, J. S., Xu, Y. Y., Chen, A., Yolton, K. A., & Braun, J. M. (2023) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwad198 · Cited by 14
Kim, W. J., Park, K., Park, J. T., Seo, E., An, S. K., Park, H. Y., & Lee, E. M. (2021) · Biology of Sex Differences · doi:10.1186/s13293-021-00399-8 · Cited by 15
Bürgin, D., Varghese, N., Eckert, A., Clemens, V., Unternäehrer, E., Boonmann, C., O’Donovan, A., & Schmid, M. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-14905-4 · Cited by 13
Steudte‐Schmiedgen, S., Schälicke, S., Bergunde, L., Karl, M., Weise, V., Junge‐Hoffmeister, J., Schumacher, S., von Soest, T., Weidner, K., Kirschbaum, C., et al. (2022) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105973 · Cited by 15
Self-citationSerotonin transporter gene methylation predicts long-term cortisol concentrations in hair
Alexander, N., Illius, S., Tobias Stalder, A., Wankerl, M., Muehlhan, M., & Kirschbaum, C. (2019) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.033 · Cited by 15
Self-citationUsing Hair Cortisol to Examine the Role of Stress in Children's Health Inequalities at 3 Years
Bryson, H., Mensah, F. K., Goldfeld, S. R., & Price, A. M. H. (2019) · Academic Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.acap.2019.05.008 · Cited by 15
Childhood hair cortisol concentration and early teen cardiometabolic outcomes
Petimar, J., Rifas‐Shiman, S. L., Hivert, M., Fleisch, A. F., Tiemeier, H. W., & Oken, E. (2019) · Pediatric Obesity · doi:10.1111/ijpo.12592 · Cited by 15
“However, the intra‐assay %CV was less than 10% in other studies using this method.(25) Last, we lacked information on hair colour, texture, and frequency of washing, and so could not standardize HCC to these variables.”
Gorter, J. W., Fehlings, D., Ferro, M. A., Gonzalez, A., Green, A. D., Hopmans, S. N., McCauley, D., Palisano, R. J., Rosenbaum, P., Speller, B., et al. (2022) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm11113060 · Cited by 14
Metadata
- Authors
- Stalder, T., Steudte-Schmiedgen, S., Alexander, N., Klucken, T., Vater, A., Wichmann, S., Kirschbaum, C., & Miller, R.
- Affiliations
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- University of Siegen (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- MSB Medical School Berlin (DE)
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-03
- Volume
- 77
- Pages
- 261-274
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2512922965
- Semantic Scholar
- 78b482bd463a2e29e2aae66b9cf8e24a66b06fe6
- Cited by
- 855
- References
- 154
- Citations by year
- 2026: 83 · 2025: 100 · 2024: 123 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 111 · 2020: 95 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 56 · 2017: 23
- FWCI
- 5.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- German Research Foundation (1213/5-1, 940/2)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- hair cortisol, chronic stress, cortisol hypersecretion, salivary cortisol, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, perceived stress, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, hair treatment, oral contraceptive use
- MeSH terms
- Hair, Hemodynamics, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Stress, Psychological
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