Lipid Variability--Influence of Stress

To investigate the variability of lipids and specifically the effects of stress on serum triglyceride levels, total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL in a 2.5 year epidemiological study.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

While researchers had documented some of the behavioral contributors to fluctuation in individuals' lipid levels (e.g., nutrition patterns, smoking, exercise), little attention had been given to psychosocial stress. Early reports utilizing accountants, race car drivers, and air traffic controllers provided some uncontrolled data associating stress with cholesterol increases. Yet, no empirical research on stress that concomitantly examined other related influences was available. This paucity of data was probably due to lack of objective measures of stress and difficulty in measuring lipid subfractions.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

Based on the results of their pilot study, and their research observations, the investigators predicted significant positive associations between stress level and triglycerides. A total of 228 public accountants (148 men and 80 women to provide comparable power between the sexes) were recruited from the greater Birmingham, Alabama area. Participants were evaluated monthly for 18 months, across three stressful and non-stressful work intervals (i.e., tax seasons). The investigators also collected data (during this same time frame) to closely monitor the following variables that affect lipids: dietary intake (including alcohol, caffeine, total calories, total fat, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol), smoking, and physical activity, and oral contraceptive use, pregnancy status and menstrual stage among the women. Additionally, a substudy presented a unique opportunity for them to investigate the relation between stress and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the formation of foam cells.

The study completion date listed in this record was obtained from the "End Date" entered in the Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS) record.

Study Type

Observational

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 100 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

No eligibility criteria

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 1, 1990

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 1992

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 25, 2000

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 25, 2000

First Posted (Estimate)

May 26, 2000

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

May 13, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2016

Last Verified

June 1, 2000

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 4913
  • R01HL043041 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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