High levels of the stress hormone cortisol are closely linked to death from cardiovascular disease, a Dutch study suggests.
In a six-year study of 860 over-65s, those with the highest levels of cortisol had a five-fold risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
No link was found between high cortisol levels and other causes of death.
British experts said the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study was "helpful".
Cortisol is produced in order to help the body recover from stress and regain its physiological stability.
But very high levels have been linked to risk factors for cardiovascualr disease, such as the metabolic syndrome - symptoms of which include obesity and high blood pressure - and accelerated atherosclerosis - where fatty deposits build up on the walls of the arteries.
In this study, researchers measured urinary cortisol levels in each participant. During the six years covered by the study, 183 people died. Cause of death was ascertained from death certificates.
The third of the subjects with the highest urinary cortisol had a five-fold increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.
BBC News
