Association Between Hair Cortisol Levels and Keratoconus: A Prospective Study

This study investigated the association between hair cortisol levels and keratoconus severity in a Jordanian population. Conducted at King Abdullah University Hospital, the study involved 60 participants aged 18-30, divided into healthy controls, progressive keratoconus, and stable keratoconus groups. Results showed that the median cortisol level was significantly higher in the progressive keratoconus group (987 pg/mL) compared to the stable group (300 pg/mL), suggesting that elevated cortisol levels may be linked to disease progression. However, no significant association was found for progressive keratoconus after adjusting for age and gender. The study concludes that cortisol could potentially serve as a biomarker for monitoring keratoconus, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.