Cortisol nonsuppression in depression: relationship to clinical variables.

The dexamethasone suppression test was performed in 63 depressed patients and 43 normal controls. Cortisol nonsuppression was found in 47.6% of the depressed patients and 4.6% of the controls. Among depressed patients both age and reported weight loss, but not severity of depression, were significantly related to postdexamethasone plasma cortisol levels. Patients who were cortisol suppressors had experienced significantly more life events before the onset of depression and had significantly higher hostility scores on a personality questionnaire than cortisol nonsuppressors.