What is the role of hair cortisol as a biomarker for chronic stress in cardiovascular disease (CVD)?
Saliva Cortisol Stress Test, a review (Curr Cardiol Rep 2019, PMID 31471749) — elevated hair cortisol levels are associated with both the incidence of CVD and poorer recovery and treatment outcomes. No numeric effect size is reported for Saliva Cortisol Stress Test in the source abstract.
Source: Curr Cardiol Rep 2019, PMID 31471749 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low
Curr Cardiol Rep · 2019 · PMID 31471749 · DOI 10.1007/s11886-019-1208-7
Hair cortisol is a promising biomarker for chronic stress linked to cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, but more robust research is needed.
The question
What is the role of hair cortisol as a biomarker for chronic stress in cardiovascular disease (CVD)?
What they tested
Hair cortisol may be a reliable biomarker of chronic stress, and elevated levels may be associated with the incidence, prognosis, and cardiometabolic risk factors of CVD.
How they did it
This is a review article that outlines the cardiovascular consequences of cortisol excess and provides an overview of recent studies investigating the relationship between hair cortisol and CVD. It also discusses clinical implications, limitations, and future research directions.
What they found
Hair cortisol provides quantification of total cortisol secreted into hair over several weeks, making it a potential biomarker for chronic stress. Elevated hair cortisol levels are associated with both the incidence of CVD and poorer recovery and treatment outcomes. Increased hair cortisol concentration has also been linked with cardiometabolic risk factors for CVD, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and adiposity.
What it means
Hair cortisol is a promising biomarker of chronic cortisol excess that may contribute to both the pathogenesis and prognosis of CVD.
Limitations
The current evidence relies on small-scale cross-sectional studies.
The paper at a glance
| Magellan’s evidence label | Hair cortisol (chronic stress) (our label for this citation — see PubMed for the paper’s own title and authors) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Curr Cardiol Rep |
| Year | 2019 |
| PMID | 31471749 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11886-019-1208-7 ↗ |
| Topic | Sleep, circadian rhythm & stress |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.
Saliva Cortisol Stress Test
Across large studies, dysregulated cortisol patterns track with worse health: a meta-analysis found flatter daily cortisol slopes are associated with poorer mental and physical health, the Whitehall II cohort linked flatter salivary slopes to higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and elevated hair cortisol…
Cortisol is the body's primary glucocorticoid stress hormone, produced by the adrenal glands under the…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). What is the role of hair cortisol as a biomarker for chronic stress in cardiovascular disease (CVD)? [Plain-English summary of Curr Cardiol Rep 2019, PMID 31471749, DOI 10.1007/s11886-019-1208-7]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s149.html@misc{magellan_s149,
title = {What is the role of hair cortisol as a biomarker for chronic stress in cardiovascular disease (CVD)?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s149.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 31471749; DOI 10.1007/s11886-019-1208-7; Curr Cardiol Rep 2019. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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