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A strand of hair can tell you about heart disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Specialists from the Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam, Holland) reported a new method for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Just one strand of hair can tell about a person’s tendency to heart disease and chronic illnesses. Human hair contains valuable information about their health. The main source of information is cortisol, a biologically active hormone, also called the stress hormone.
Cortisol is formed in the outer layer of the adrenal cortex and is a kind of "regulator" of carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Until now, the level of cortisol in the human body was measured using a blood test. Specialists from the Netherlands reported that this indicator can be read not only from blood, but also from hair. If the level of cortisol in the body is measured using a venous blood test, the indicator is relevant only at the time of taking the test. Studies of a strand of hair are considered more reliable: scientists were able to track the measurement of cortisol levels over a long period of time. Thus, the new diagnostic method becomes more effective.
The amount of cortisol, which is considered a stress hormone, determines a person's susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases. A study conducted in Rotterdam will help specialists track changes in the level of this hormone and diagnose heart diseases in advance.
The head of the study reported that elevated levels of cortisol may indicate a tendency to heart disease, so analyzing a strand of hair will help to prevent dangerous diseases in the future and, possibly, prevent them. Too high levels of cortisol in the human body allow us to talk about a risk factor for heart disease. Among other such factors, experts point out obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and high blood pressure.
In the process of studying the new diagnostics, scientists compared the amount of cortisol in the blood of 238 elderly people. The results showed that those people whose cortisol level was higher than average suffered from coronary heart disease, diabetes, myocardial infarction and other diseases associated with cardiovascular dysfunction.
In addition to cortisol levels, hair analysis can provide detailed information about any food allergies a person may have, or any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
A useful fact is that hair analysis may soon replace blood analysis. Hair, unlike blood, stores information much longer, which will allow more effective testing for alcohol and drugs. People who conduct an early hair strand analysis will be warned about the possibility of developing cardiovascular disease or stroke. A strand of hair will be able to “report” on cortisol levels for several months.