Hair Cortisol as a Biomarker of Chronic Stress in Community-Dwelling Adults With Longstanding Multiple Sclerosis

Hair sample collection for cortisol analysis is feasible in community-dwelling individuals with longstanding MS. The lack of correlation between hair cortisol and perceived stress reflects the complexity of measuring chronic stress in MS, as in other populations. Future research may consider multi-method approaches to collect hair samples and explore relationships between hair cortisol, perceived stress, and health promotion variables.