Stress hormones in our hair can predict the likelihood of suffering a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study. People with high levels of the stress hormones cortisol and cortisone are twice as likely to suffer a cardiovascular event such as a stroke or heart attack in their lifetime, suggests the findings.
And the probability rises to over three times as likely in those aged 57 or younger, say scientists. The Dutch research team looked at long-term levels of scalp hair cortisol and its inactive form, hair cortisone.
The presence of the hormone shows that a person has been exposed to the steroid hormone glucocorticoid over the previous months, which is secreted as a response to stress. Cortisol and cortisone affect the body’s metabolism and fat distribution. But data on their effect on long-term cardiovascular disease is scarce.
