Seriously Stressed? Hair Analysis Tells All, Study Finds
Single strand may yield evidence about heart-harmful hormone levels in seniors, researchers say.
Hair analysis can reveal if seniors have elevated stress hormone levels that may put them at increased risk for heart disease and stroke, a new study suggests.
Unlike a blood test that provides information about stress hormone levels at a single point in time, analysis of a strand of hair can reveal trends in levels of the stress hormone cortisol over several months, according to the researchers.
The study found that seniors with higher long-term levels of cortisol were more likely to have heart disease.
Like high blood pressure or abdominal fat, the findings suggest elevated cortisol levels are an important signal that an individual is at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Scalp hair can capture information about how cortisol levels have changed over time, hair analysis gives us a better tool for evaluating that risk.
The researchers analyzed 1.2-inch samples of hair from the heads of 283 people, aged 65 to 85, and determined the participants' cortisol levels over the previous three months.
The team found that people with high cortisol levels were more likely to have a history of coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and diabetes.
The data showed a clear link between chronically elevated cortisol levels and cardiovascular disease. Additional studies are needed to explore the role of long-term cortisol measurement as a cardiovascular disease predictor and how it can be used to inform new treatment or prevention strategies.
Source: HealthDay News
- 429 reads
