Cortisol levels in the hair indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Cortisol affects numerous functions of the body, such as metabolism.
People with higher long-term cortisol levels had twice the risk of heart attacks. In people under 57 years of age, the risk was even three times higher. The older the participants were, the less there was a connection between cortisol levels and heart disease. The study was presented at the "European Congress on Obesity" in Ireland, which took place in Dublin.