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Credit: Emma Busk Winquist/Linköping University
Can long-term stress lead to heart attacks? Most people would probably answer in the affirmative, but the scientific evidence of this is scarce. A new study by researchers from Linköping University in Sweden reveals that the levels of the stress hormone cortisol were increased in the months preceding a heart attack. The results, published in
Scientific Reports, suggest that long-term stress is a risk factor for heart attacks. The levels of the stress hormone cortisol differed between people who have had a heart attack and those not affected. This suggests that cortisol in hair may be a new risk marker for heart attacks. We must take stress seriously , says Professor Tomas Faresjö from the Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences at Linköping University, principal investigator of the study.