Research by the Faculty of Dentistry of Piracicaba was carried out with 44 PMs from the city of Chapecó (SC)
A doctoral thesis developed at the Faculty of Dentistry of Piracicaba (FOP) associated self-perception criteria with clinical examinations to identify biomarkers efficient in detecting stress. The study carried out with 44 military police officers, aged between 22 and 52 years, from the city of Chapecó (SC), showed that 27% of those evaluated demonstrated a high perception of stress in their work activity. Although considered high, compared to other studies that used the same methodology, this subjective perception contrasted with the biomarker indices to which it was associated to assess stress in the group. Changes in plasma biomarkers, which suggest metabolic syndrome, for example, reached 84% of participants. “The training they undergo and the permanent state of alert condition the police officer to a stressful condition, to which he ends up adapting. However, the organism responds with biological changes, such as those observed”, explained Ilo Odilon Villa Dias, author of the research.
According to Dias, the majority of the group (43,2%) had an average perception of stress. These values were obtained from the Perceived Stress Scale in the version with 10 questions (PSS-10). As the researcher explained, the methodology evaluates the frequency of occurrence of feelings and thoughts related to everyday events and situations that occurred in the previous month. The score ranges from 0 to 40, with a higher score indicating greater stress. The result is statistically divided into quartiles, which indicate low perception (up to 25%), medium perception (between 25% and 75%) and high perception (above 75%).
Blood and saliva tests were associated with the subjective responses, which evaluated biomarkers that traditionally arise under stress conditions. Blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, cortisol, alpha amylase, glucose, C-reactive protein (in blood and saliva), blood glucose, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured. Most participants showed changes in blood pressure, 55% changes in blood fat and 84% in C-reactive protein, an important inflammatory marker.
Another marker highlighted by Dias was HDL lipoprotein, an indicator of metabolic syndrome caused by stress. According to him, 55% of participants had rates below 40mg/dL, when the normality standard indicates above 60mg/dL. “HDL lipoprotein is extremely important for transporting cholesterol from tissues to the liver”, he pointed out.
The researcher explained that stress is a nervous system response to physical or emotional adversity. Faced with situations such as pain, heat, cold, danger, the organism leaves its normal balance and prepares the body to face the situation. This reaction, known as acute stress, is a protective mechanism that will only be harmful when it stops being triggered sporadically and becomes a constant in the individual's life. “We believe that assessing stress can help in the diagnosis and prevention of diseases,” said Dias.
Compliant Dias, even though they are subjective, the answers are relevant to the evaluation of the physiological biomarkers, as their change can also be caused by other factors, such as cholesterol, which can be associated with stress, but also with a diet rich in saturated fat and a sedentary lifestyle.
The researcher highlighted that chronic stress promotes physiological changes that deregulate the body and can lead to illnesses in the short and long term. “Ideally, the research should be expanded to the general population. From this, with comparative tables, it will be possible to detect metabolic changes early before health problems occur”, highlighted the researcher. “As several studies reproduce this subjective research, associated with physiological research, we will be able to establish grounds for choosing one or two biomarkers, blood or salivary, capable of identifying the stress situation.”
