Análise de cortisol sérico e sua correlação com a qualidade de vida em militares

Abstract

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid produced by the cortex of the adrenal gland and is an important signal in the response to the Pituitary Adrenal Hypothalamus (HPA) axis. The change in cortisol concentration occurs because they seem to be related to changes in the ability of glucocorticoids to exert negative feedback on the secretion of the axis. The quality of life depends on the individual and his perception in the context of values in relation to expectations and his interests, is not just about absences of diseases, but to move away from social psychic factors of the idealized purpose. The mainstay of military activity is hierarchy, discipline and defense readiness, taking risks that are often direct when exposed to chemical, physical and biological agents, in addition to the expected workload of 40 hours per week and being available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week; this sum of factors contributes to a potential physiological change related to stress. In this context, this study measured and analyzed the concentration of serum cortisol and the correlation of this data with the validated questionnaire of quality of life the SF-36 in military personnel who work in the Health staff of the Hospital de Força Aérea de São Paulo, military personnel in the Air Force. active in the most diverse cadres that do not have ties to health cadres, and a comparison of military personnel in general with civilians. The military personnel who make up the Health chart had decreased serum cortisol in the morning and a lower quality of life than the military in the other charts (p <0.001). When comparing the military in general and civilians, the military showed decreased cortisol and a lower quality of life than civilians (p <0.001). Thus, our results showed that the Health staff of the Hospital de Força Aérea de São Paulo presented lower quality of life and lower the value of the morning serum cortisol concentration between the military and civilians.