Inhibition of Cortisol Secretion by Dexamethasone in Relation to Body Fat Distribution: A Dose‐Response Study

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Abstract
In this study, dexamethasone (dex) was administered in random order in doses of 0.05, 0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mg at 10 p.m. with measurements of serum Cortisol in the morning (8 a.m.) of this and the following day. The test was performed on 22 apparently healthy men, 40 to 60 years of age, recruited from laboratory personnel, outpatient clinics or advertisements in a newspaper. Eight had a body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) of 25. Twelve men had a waist hip ratio (WHR) of 1.0) rather than a low than low (1.0. In addition, the inhibition at 0.5 mg dex correlated negatively with the WHR and was significantly lower (p1.0 than in men with a WHR of <1.0. None of these differences or relationships was found to be dependent on BMI. It is concluded that men with an elevated WHR experience a decrease in the inhibition of Cortisol secretion by dex. It is suggested that this could explain or contribute to the elevated sensitivity of their HPA axis. Furthermore, lower morning Cortisol concentrations suggest a change in diurnal secretion patterns.