Ten-year follow-up study of cortisol levels in aging Holocaust survivors with and without PTSD

Rachel Yehuda, Adam Morris, Ellen Labinsky, Shelly Zemelman, James Schmeidler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

To investigate the longitudinal course of mean 24-hour urinary cortisol excretion in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the authors evaluated 24-hour cortisol excretion in 28 Holocaust survivors 10 years after obtaining an initial estimate. Cortisol level increased in participants whose PTSD had remitted (n = 3) but declined in participants who devehped PTSD (n = 3) or whose PTSD status did not change over time (PTSD+: n = 14, PTSD-: n = 8). Cortisol levels at Time 1 predicted diagnostic status change better than psychological variables, including exposure to traumatic events between assessments. The authors conclude that cortisol levels are affected by change in PTSD status and age.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)757-761
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Traumatic Stress
Volume20
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2007
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Ten-year follow-up study of cortisol levels in aging Holocaust survivors with and without PTSD'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this