H P Gaete
Ferryview Health Centre, UK
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Steroids Hormon Sci
Over the past 60 years, there has been an exponential expansion in the field of neuroendocrinology. The HPA (Hypothalamus- Pituitary-Adrenal) Axis is affected by both internal physiological stressors which threaten the organism??s homeostasis. Research has shown that chronic stress can lead to progressive dysregulation of the HPA Axis. The HPA Axis is fundamentally a dynamic system (Rachel Yehuda). Hair Cortisol levels would facilitate longitudinal studies, as it would allow monthly cortisol levels for a period of 3-4 months at a time. It has been suggested that increased activity of the HPA Axis, with increased level of glucocorticoid hormones, may contribute to the development of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) (Friedman et al, 1996). David Cresswell and Emily K. Lindsay (2014), propose that mindfulness can have a stress buffering effect. Would Mindfulness training be a helpful adjunct therapy to help modulate the HPA Axis and improve mental and physical health? Would it help monitor ??individuals at risk?? Would it be useful to monitor response to treatment in patients with severe depression?
H P Gaete achieved her MRCS Eng, LRCP Lond in 1977, and completed her MSc in Mental Health Studies in the University of Kent in 2008.
Email: patriciagaete@hotmail.co.uk
