Metabolic response against traffic congestion-induced stress

Background: Traffic congestion is a common problem in large cities, which can induce stress in participants in vehicles as well as pedestrians. In such conditions, several stress hormones, such as catecholamines and cortisol are secreted by the adrenal glands resulting in metabolic responses. Prolonged metabolic changes can lead to metabolic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to examine the metabolic responses induced by traffic congestion in young adults. Methods: We enrolled 71 undergraduate students aged 20-30 years from the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Islam Bandung, who regularly go to campus on foot, by public transportation, motorcycles, and cars. Medical history was screened by questionnaires before the testing day. Blood samples were drawn soon after participants arrived on campus. We used bioimpedance analysis to measure fasting blood glucose, lipid profiles, and nutrient body status. Results: Most participants rode motorcycles (46.48%), and the most common travel time was short (<15 min, 54.9%.). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were significantly lower in participants using vehicles - either private or public transportation - compared with pedestrians (p<0.05 and p<0.02, respectively). Participants with a short travel duration had significantly higher total cholesterol and LDL levels than those with longer ones (p<0.02 and p<0.05, respectively). Conclusions: Based on the above results, metabolic responses to traffic congestion such as changes to total cholesterol and LDL levels depended the type of transportation and travel duration.