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News
Chronic stress, as measured by cortisol levels in scalp hair, appears to have little to no impact on how the heart is built or how it functions, according to a new Swedish study. Researchers examined nearly 3,000 middle-aged adults and found no meaningful link between hair cortisol and most echocardiographic measures — with one minor exception: a slightly larger left atrial volume.
Chronic stress is often blamed for heart problems, but a new study suggests the connection may be more complicated than we think. Researchers in Sweden measured cortisol levels in scalp hair — a reliable marker of long-term stress — and compared them against 19 different echocardiographic measures of heart structure and function in nearly 3,000 middle-aged adults. The verdict? Almost no meaningful relationship.
Across three broad cardiac phenotypes — structural/volumetric remodeling, cardiac output/flow, and diastolic function — hair cortisol concentrations showed no significant associations. The one exception was a slightly elevated left atrial end-systolic volume index, but even that difference was modest.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Even though elevated cortisol has been tied to increased cardiovascular disease risk in prior research, this study suggests that risk may not manifest through direct changes in heart structure or function — pointing researchers toward other physiological pathways worth exploring.
