Many risk factors for cardiovascular disease are known, but hair can probably be used to find out how high the individual risk really is.
Frankfurt – The most common cause of death in Germany is cardiovascular disease. Around 300,000 people a year suffer a heart attack in Germany alone. Many risk factors, such as smoking, as well as some symptoms of heart disease are known. Now, however, there could be a whole new way to assess a person's risk of cardiovascular disease and that is on the head, more precisely in the hair.
| Investigation | Link Between Cortisol and Heart Disease |
|---|---|
| Determination | Cortisol levels in the hair |
| Result | Elevated levels indicate an increased risk |
Cortisol levels in the hair indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease
At the "European Congress on Obesity" in Ireland, new research results were presented, which were published on the knowledge portal eurekalert.org. In a large-scale study with more than 6300 participants, the stress hormone cortisol was measured in hair. Cortisol affects numerous functions of the body, such as metabolism. Among other things, these values are intended to indicate how likely the person is to suffer from cardiovascular disease.
For the study, the participants were followed for between five and seven years, so the long-term relationship between cortisol levels and cardiovascular disease was to be determined. When assessing the risk of disease, factors such as age, gender, smoking, blood pressure and previous diseases were taken into account.
New study: How hair is supposed to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease
Within the observation period, there were 133 cases. It was observed that the people with higher long-term cortisol levels had twice the risk of diseases such as 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.
In one study, it was observed that participants with high cortisol levels in their hair were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. (Symbolic image) © Sigrid Gombert/Imago
"There is ample evidence that chronic stress is a significant factor in overall health. Our results now suggest that people with higher long-term glucocorticoid levels in their hair have a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in particular," says lead author Dr. Eline van der Valk from Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Using cortisol levels in the hair to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease
Long-term levels of cortisol in the hair could be used as biomarkers in the future. "Our hope is that hair analysis could ultimately prove to be a test that doctors can use to determine which individuals are at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Then, perhaps, in the future, the targeted influencing of the effects of stress hormones in the body could become a new treatment goal," says Professor Elisabeth van Rossum, the head of the study from the Erasmus University Medical Center.
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The risk of cardiovascular disease can be predicted not only in the hair, but also in the mouth. Periodontitis increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by almost 50 percent. (Kiba)