Hormone Levels in Hair Correlate with Heart Failure

A new study reveals the cortisol (C) levels in human hair can serve as biological markers of chronic heart failure (CHF).

Researchers at Meir Medical Center (Kfar Saba, Israel) and Tel-Aviv University (Israel) conducted a prospective study in 44 ambulatory male patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) lower than 40%. Testosterone (T) and C levels were measured using immunoassays in the proximal two cm of hair, representing approximately two months of systemic hormone exposure. The primary endpoints included the correlation of hair cortisol, testosterone, and C/T levels with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, LVEF, exercise capacity, and NT-proBNP.

The results showed that the CHF patients had a median C hair level of 207 ng/g. Hair C levels correlated positively with NYHA class, and negatively with treadmill stress test performance. The hair T was 5.17 ng/g, and the C/T ratio was 39.89. No associations were found between hair T and C/T ratio and heart failure severity; however, the C/T ratio was higher in patients who required a CHF-related hospitalization than in patients who did not require this in the year following the inclusion in the study. The study was published on August 21, 2013, in Psychoneuroendocrinology.

“Congestive heart failure is associated with increased stress and alterations in metabolism, favoring catabolism over anabolism. Scalp hair is a novel matrix that allows for measurement of hormones over a period of several months,” said lead author David Pereg, MD, of Meir Medical Center, and colleagues.

Cortisol is a well-known stress hormone, but until recently could only be measured within a short time span of up to 24 hours. By measuring levels in about 100 strands of hair clipped from the scalp, C levels can be assessed as a retrospective biological indicator of stress over the previous three months, indicating chronic or accumulated stress. Studies have also demonstrated interactions with known factors associated with health disparities such as racial and ethnic identity, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Related Links:
Meir Medical Center
Tel-Aviv University