Overview

• University of Hong Kong researchers found older adults reporting anxiety specifically on Mondays exhibited 23% higher hair cortisol levels months later than those anxious on other days.
• The cortisol surge appeared equally in working and retired older adults, indicating Monday anxiety stems from cultural and behavioral patterns rather than workplace pressures.
• Analysis linked the effect to dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, the body’s central stress response system.
• Prolonged elevated cortisol is associated with weakened immunity, hypertension, metabolic disorders and a documented roughly 19% spike in Monday cardiovascular events.
• Investigators urged hospitals and clinics to anticipate more heart attacks on Mondays and recommended that individuals conduct routine stress inventories to monitor and manage weekly anxiety.