Serum Levels of Stress Hormones and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Differ according to Sasang Constitutional Type

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

<P><I>Objectives.</I> This study investigated whether Sasang constitutional type is associated with differences in the serum levels of stress hormones and oxidative stress.<I> Methods.</I> A total of 236 participants (77 males and 159 females) were enrolled. The serum levels of cortisol, adrenaline, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were analyzed.<I> Results.</I> The distribution of Sasang constitutional types was as follows: Taeumin, 35.6%; Soumin, 33.0%; and Soyangin, 31.4%. The serum cortisol levels of Taeumin were significantly lower than Soumin (<I>p</I> < 0.1 in both sexes) and Soyangin (<I>p</I> < 0.05 in males and <I>p</I> < 0.1 in females). The adrenaline levels were also significantly lower in Taeumin than in Soumin (<I>p</I> < 0.05 in males and <I>p</I> < 0.1 in females) and Soyangin (<I>p</I> < 0.1 in males). Serum ROS levels were significantly higher in Soyangin than in Taeumin and Soumin (<I>p</I> < 0.05 in males), whereas MDA levels were significantly lower in Taeumin compared with Soumin and Soyangin (<I>p</I> < 0.05 in males and <I>p</I> < 0.1 in females).<I> Conclusion.</I> Taeumin type may tolerate psychological or oxidative stress better than other types, which suggests a biological mechanism to explain the different pathophysiological features of Sasang constitutional types.</P>