Detect heart attack early by checking hair

The study was conducted by experts at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The research team analyzed hair samples from more than 6,000 adults. The goal was to analyze the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair, according to the health news site Medical Daily .

Participants will be followed for an average of five to seven years to assess the long-term relationship between cortisol and cardiovascular disease. During this time, 133 people will have heart attacks and strokes.

Research results show that people with high levels of cortisol in their hair have an average risk of heart attack and stroke that doubles. In particular, for people under 57 years old, this risk increases by 3 times.

Explaining the mechanism of the above phenomenon, researchers said that the concentration of cortisol in hair reveals the level of stress a person has experienced in the previous months. Because when stressed, the body will secrete the hormone cortisol. A part of this hormone will remain in the hair.

"We hope that hair analysis can serve as a useful test to help clinicians identify which patients are at high risk of cardiovascular disease," said Professor Elisabeth van Rossum, one of the study's authors.

Cardiovascular disease is a general term used to describe diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. These diseases include coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and several others.

Factors that lead to cardiovascular disease include age, overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of exercise, genetics and some other factors. To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, people need to eat healthy, reduce stress, exercise regularly and stay away from alcohol and tobacco, according to Medical Daily .