Named the day of the week most dangerous for the heart

Scientists led by Professor of Medical Sociology Tarani Chandola from the University of Hong Kong have discovered: elderly people who experience anxiety on Mondays have higher levels of stress hormones - even two months later. This applies not only to working people but also to retirees, indicating a deep psychological connection between the beginning of the week and physiological stress. The work was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders (JAD).

Researchers used data from more than 3,500 participants from the British Longitudinal Study of Aging. Hair samples were taken from the subjects - this allowed researchers to determine the levels of cortisol and cortisone that had accumulated in the body over several months.

It was found that people who felt anxiety specifically on Mondays had cortisol levels on average 23% higher than those who felt anxious on other days. This effect persisted regardless of age, gender, employment, and other factors. Even after retirement, people continued to experience stress associated with the beginning of the week - like a "trace" from many years of working life.

Interestingly, such a biological response to anxiety was not observed on any other day of the week. This confirms that Monday is a special psychological trigger for many people, capable of causing a persistent hormonal response.

Although the study does not prove a direct causal relationship, it provides a new explanation for why heart attacks and strokes occur more frequently on Mondays.

The authors plan to continue their work: to study why some people are resistant to the stress of the beginning of the week, while others are not. Possibly, certain habits, personality traits, or routines can help reduce anxiety levels and improve health.

"Stress is not just an emotion. It has a real impact on the body," emphasized Chandola.