Inverse relationship spirometric lung functions with serum cortisol level in post-menopausal women

Authors

  • Rahnuma Hossain Department of Physiology, National medical college, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Sultana Ferdousi Department of Physiology, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Shamima Sultana Department of Physiology, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Sharmin Afroz Assistant Professor (Physiology),Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University: Dhaka, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8778-3313

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/jbsp.v20i2.86977

Keywords:

Post-menopause, spirometric lung functions, cortisol, Menopause

Abstract

Background: Post-menopausal women experience hormonal changes that may result in accentuated decline in pulmonary functions as assessed by spirometry. Cortisol, a stress related glucocorticoid, has been implicated in systemic inflammation but its relation with lung functions in this population remains under explored. Objective: To observe the relationship of spirometric lung functions with serum cortisol in post-menopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 post-menopausal women (age:52-60 years) with different duration of menopause (2-12 years). Lung functions (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR and FEF25-75%) were estimated by a computer-based spirometer (Spiro-tech, India) and early morning serum cortisol level was measured by Automated Analyzer method. Spearman’s rank correlation test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The spirometric measurements showed reduction in FVC, FEV1, PEFR and FEF25-75% and an increase in FEV1/FVC ratio in the participants. In this study, significant negative correlations of the percentage of predicted values of FVC, FEV1 and FEF25-75% were observed with serum cortisol level (p<0.01, p<0.01 and p<0.05 respectively). FEV1/FVC ratio exhibited positive and PEFR showed negative correlation with serum cortisol level in this group of participants but both the relations were statistically non-significant. Conclusion: Spirometric lung functions were inversely related with serum cortisol level in post-menopausal women. 

J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2025;20(2): 53-57

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
0
PDF
0

References

1. WHO. 2022. Menopause Fact Sheets. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact- sheets/ detail/menopause.

2. Macsali F, Svanes C, Bjorge L, Omenaas ER, Real FG. 2012. Respiratory health in women: from menarche to menopause. Expert Rev Respir Med. 6(2):187-200; quiz 201-2. DOI: 10.1586/ ers. 12. 15.

3. Triebner K, Matulonga B, Johannessen A, Suske S, Benediktsdottir B, Demoly P. Dharmage SC, Franklin KA, Aymerich JG, Blanco JAG, Heinrich J, Holm M, Jarvis D, Jogi R, Lindberg E, Rovira JMM, Agirre NM, Pin I, Hensch NP, Puggini L, Raherison C, Ramos JLS, Schlunssen V, Sunyer J, Svanes C, Hustad S, Leynaert B, Real FG. 2017. Menopause is associated with accelerated lung function decline. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 195(8):1058-1065. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201605-0968OC.

4. McCarthy M, Raval AP. 2020. The peri-menopause in a women’s life: a systemic inflammatory phase that enables later neurodegerative disease. J Neuroinflammation. 17(1):317. DOI: 10. 1186/s12974-020-01998-9.

5. Memoalia J, Anjum B, Singh N, Gupta M. 2018. Decline in Pulmonary Function Tests after menopause. J Menopausal Med. 2018; 24(1):34-40. DOI: 10.6118/jmm.2018.24. 1.34.

6. Karia AK, Kedar KV, Munje RP. 2017. Effect of menopause on pulmonary functions: An analysis. Journal of SAFOMS. 5(2): 99-101. DOI: 10.50005/jp-journals-10032-1115.

7. Songur N, Aydin ZD, Ozturk O, Sahin U, Khayri U, Bircan A, Akkaya A. 2010. Respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, and reproductive history: Isparta Menopause and Health Study. J Womens Health (Larchmt).19(6):1145-54. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2009.1715.

8. Jung WJ, Kim YS, Jung JY, Jung EY, Kim SK, Chang J. 2012. The effect of menopause on the lung function among Korean women; the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KHANES IV). ERS Journal. 40(s56): 3965.

9. Hall JE, Hall EM. 2021. Text Book of Medical Physiology. 14th ed. USA. Elsevier. Chap 82, Female physiology before pregnancy and female hormone. p 883-885.

10. Woods NF, Carr MM, Tao EY, Taylor HJ, Mitchell ES. 2006. Increased urinary cortisol level during the menopausal transition. Menopause; 13(2): 212-221. DOI: 10.1097/01.gme.0000198490.57242.2e.

11. Cagnacci A, Cannoletta M, Caretto S, Zanin R, Xholli A, Volpe A. 2011. Increased cortisol level: a possible link between climacteric symptoms and cardiovascular risk factors. Menopause.18(3):273-278. DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181f31947.

12. Cagnacci A, Xholli A, fontanessi F, Neri I, Facchinetti F, Palma F. 2022.Treatment of menopausal symptoms: concomitant modifications of cortisol. Menopause. 29(1): 23-27. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001875.

13. Hodge MX, Henrique AR, Kodavanti UP. 2021. Adrenergic and glucocorticoid receptors in the pulmonary health effects of air pollution. Toxics; 9(6): 132. DOI: 10.3390/toxics9060132.

14. Amratia DA, Viole H, Ioachimescu OC. 2022. Glucocorticoid therapy in respiratory illness: bench to bedside. J Investig Med; 70(8): 1662- 1680. DOI: 10.1136/jim-2021-002161

15. Polly ZA, Begum S, Ferdousi S, Begum N, Ali T, Begum A. 2011. Relationship of FEF 25% -75%, PEFR and SVC with estrogen and progesterone level in post-menopausal women. JBSP. 6(2):116-121. DOI: 10.3329/jbsp.v6i2.9761.

16. Gibbs J, Ince L, Mattews L, Mei J, Yang N, Saer B, Begley N., Poolman T, Pariollaud M, Farrow S, DeMayo F, Hussell T, Worthen GS, Ray D & Loudon A. 2014. An epithelial circadian clock controls pulmonary inflammation and glucocorticoid action. Nat Med ;20(8): 919-926. DOI: 10.1038/nm. 3599.

17. Kapoor E. 2021. Menopause symptoms and cortisol response. Menopause. 29(1): 6-7. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001907.

18. Straub RH. 2007. The complex role of estrogen in inflammation. Endocr Rev; 28(5): 521-574. DOI: 10.1210/er.2007-0001.

19. Topete DC, Cidlowski JA. 2015. One hormone, two actions: Anti- and pro-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. Neuroimmunomodulation; 22(1-2): 20-32. DOI: 10.1159/000362724.

20. Strehl C, Ehlers L, Gaber T, Buttgereit F. 2019 . Glucocorticoid: all-rounders tackling the versatile players of the immune system. Front. Immunol; 10: 1744. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01744.

21. Kuo T, Harris CA, Wang JC. 2016. Mol Cell Endocrinol; 380 (1-2): 79 – 88.DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.201303.003

22. Sato AY, Peacock M, Bellido T. (2018). Glucocorticoid excess in bone and muscle. Clin Rev Bone Miner Metab; 16 (1): 33-47. DOI: 10.1007/s12018-018-9242-3.

Downloads

Published

2026-02-22

How to Cite

Hossain, R., Ferdousi, S., Sultana, S., & Sharmin Afroz. (2026). Inverse relationship spirometric lung functions with serum cortisol level in post-menopausal women. Journal of Bangladesh Society of Physiologist, 20(2), 53–57. https://doi.org/10.3329/jbsp.v20i2.86977

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Bangladesh Society of Physiologist

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

JBSP retains the copyright of the contents of this journal but grant the readers the right to use the contents with terms and conditions under a creative common attribution licenses 4 of Attribution, Share Alike and Non commercial type(CC BY-NC-SA) that allows copy, distribute, display, and perform the work and make derivative works based on it only for noncommercial purposes.

Creative Commons Licence
Journal of Bangladesh Society of Physiologist is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.