Monday is not just a symbol of a new week, but also a day that can pose a real threat to health. According to a new international study, the beginning of the week causes long-term stress even in people who do not work and can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Stress on Monday: not only mood but also biology
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong, analyzing the data of more than 3,500 participants from the United Kingdom (ELSA study), found that elderly people who reported anxiety on Monday had almost a quarter of a higher level of cortisol - stress hormone - in hair samples. And this means that stress is not just instant, but accumulates in the body for months.
And interesting - the effect of "anxious Monday" was equally manifested by both workers and pensioners. This indicates that the problem is not in the work itself, but in the psychological and biological sense of Monday as a "start point" of a new cycle of life.
Monday and Heart: Not a casual coincidence
Researchers associate Monday stress with impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (GGNV)-a system that regulates the level of cortisol. With its chronic activation, the body has a devastating effect: increased blood pressure, reduces the sensitivity to insulin, impaired work of the immune system.
This may be explained by the fact that it is on Monday that doctors capture the increase in heart attacks by almost 20%.
Mondays rooted in us deeper than we think
One of the authors of the study, Professor Tarani Chandol, emphasizes that even after the completion of work, Monday continues to cause a biological reaction. “It's not about an office or morning meeting. It is about the rhythm of life that we have absorbed for years and which leaves the imprint in physiology, ”he explains.
Consequences for medicine and prevention
Scientists hope that a better understanding of Monday will help develop new strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, especially among the elderly. It is not only about psycho -emotional well -being, but also about the long -term influence of the day of the week on physiology.
