Serum Cholesterol Concentration

OBSERVATIONS on the variability of serum cholesterol concentration at times of stress have been made by several investigators.1-5 In most cases the concentration of cholesterol has been found to increase during or shortly after a stressful experience, but there is evidence that the nature of the stressor and factors involved in the selection of experimental subjects may influence such responses. During a previous study6 it was found that remarkable changes in serum cholesterol concentration could occur within a few hours when selected individuals were exposed to certain conditions of stress. In the case of cold, it was noted that serum cholesterol began to increase before the subjects entered the cold room and that it fell rather abruptly thereafter (fig. 1). This led us to question whether exposure to cold or the anticipation of this experience initiated the changes that were observed. The following report describes an effort to clarify this point.