Biomarkers for Noninvasive Assessment of Human Hydration

Low levels of dehydration (the loss of body water corresponding to 2% of the body weight), deteriorate physical and cognitive performance and may also be linked to a number of chronic diseases. The standard test used for the assessment of hydration status is plasma osmolality. This blood test is invasive, requires time and laboratory equipment and is not accurate for isotonic dehydration. The goal of this project is to determine whether a new molecular technology, saliva-based Stress Response Profiling (SRP) biomarkers, could be used for non-invasive diagnostics of dehydration.