Scientists at Linköping University in Sweden have found a link between increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and subsequent heart attack. Reported in an article published in Scientific Reports, the study is summarized in a press release on MedicalXpress.
The researchers analyzed hair samples 1 to 3 centimeters long (corresponding to 1–3 months of growth) for cortisol levels in 174 people who were admitted to cardiology clinics in southeastern Sweden with myocardial infarction. As a control group, experts used hair samples from more than three thousand volunteers.
Those who had a heart attack had statistically higher levels of cortisol in the month before hospitalization. This remained true even when considering the presence of other risk factors for cardiovascular disorders, including high blood pressure, high blood lipids, smoking, diabetes, and hereditary predisposition. However, cortisol levels were found to be a more significant predictor of seizure than traditional risk factors.
So far, researchers cannot fully explain what causes the high cortisol levels seen in study participants. Stress can be the result of both external and internal influences, such as other diseases. Moreover, biological stress does not always correspond to a person's mental state.
