Cortisol differences in sickle cell disease remain unresolved
Pooled blood measurements did not show statistically clear cortisol differences from healthy controls, while the reviewed studies did not examine the influence of psychosocial stressors.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In people with sickle cell disease, pooled serum and plasma measurements did not show a statistically clear cortisol difference from healthy controls. Individual study findings were inconsistent. This leaves the difference unresolved rather than showing equal hormone levels, and the review found no studies examining how psychosocial stressors influenced cortisol in this population.
This abstract-based account reports inconsistent findings and uncertain pooled estimates. No included study examined psychosocial stressors, so the results cannot explain how those experiences relate to cortisol in sickle cell disease.
How cortisol was measured
Cortisol, described here as a stress hormone, was measured mainly in blood, using serum or plasma samples. Few studies used saliva or hair. The review considered measurement methods alongside comparisons and links with disease characteristics.
What remains unanswered
Some studies examined hormone stimulation tests, disease severity, or painful disease crises. Research on medication and behavioral correlates was sparse. These questions are distinct from directly testing how psychosocial stressors influence the hormone, which no study investigated.
The original publication
Cortisol in sickle cell disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Prussien KV, Burke MM, Gollomp K et al.
Blood Adv · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40517416
- Record checked
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