Your heart may be changing years before it ever sends you a warning sign. A new study of nearly half a million adults found that people with the highest levels of hidden, low-grade inflammation had a 43% higher risk of heart attack and stroke than people with the lowest levels – and their hearts already looked different on MRI scans.
The research, led by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) and Imperial College London, adds new weight to the link between chronic stress and heart health. Inflammation tracked closely with psychological distress and money pressures, not just the usual suspects like smoking. Here’s what the study found, what the blood marker GlycA actually is, what it does and does not prove, and the practical steps worth talking over with your doctor.
What the New Study Found
The paper, titled “Gene-environment interactions shape cytokine-mediated inflammation and cardiovascular risk,” was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Imperial announced it on September 18, 2026.
The team, with senior author Professor Declan O’Regan, analyzed UK Biobank data from nearly 480,000 adults. They combined three kinds of information:
- A blood test for an inflammation marker called glycoprotein acetyls, or GlycA
- Heart imaging, to see the structure of the heart itself
- Genetic data, to see who might be more or less vulnerable
The headline number: people in the top 20% for inflammation had a 43% higher risk of heart attack and stroke than those in the bottom 20%, according to Imperial’s announcement. That elevated risk showed up even in people with no existing heart disease.
“Our study, which is the largest of its kind, suggests that millions of people could be living with hidden inflammation, which is slowly changing their heart and causing long term damage – increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke,” O’Regan said in the release.
Chronic Stress and Heart Health: The Inflammation Connection
So where does stress come in? The researchers found that higher inflammation was “strongly associated” with measures of socioeconomic disadvantage and psychological distress. That was on top of better-known risk factors like smoking and excess body fat.
Medical News Today, which reviewed the study, reported that trunk fat, current smoking, psychological distress, low socioeconomic status, depression and fat stored around the belly were all tied to higher GlycA. Regular physical activity, a healthier diet and higher socioeconomic status were tied to lower levels.
“The surprising thing was how much social factors and mental health are linked to inflammation and damage to the heart – as well as more well-known risk factors like smoking and inactivity,” O’Regan said.
The authors suggest chronic inflammation may be one biological pathway through which everyday pressures, including poverty and mental health struggles, get “under the skin” and raise cardiovascular risk. That’s the core of the chronic stress and heart health story: stress may not only feel bad, it may leave a measurable physical trace.
Genes matter too, but they are not destiny
O’Regan also pointed to “a strong genetic factor,” with some people naturally more resilient or more susceptible to inflammatory damage from different lifestyles. The researchers stress that being genetically susceptible, or living in tough circumstances, does not mean heart disease is inevitable.
What Is GlycA?
GlycA (glycoprotein acetyls) is a blood marker that reflects long-term, low-grade inflammation in the body. Unlike a spike from a cold or an injury, chronic inflammation is a steady, simmering activation of the immune system that doesn’t fully switch off.
GlycA is measured from a blood sample using a lab technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It captures a combined signal from several proteins the body makes when it’s inflamed, which is why researchers see it as a steadier snapshot of inflammation than some single-protein tests.
Chronic inflammation has already been linked with conditions including cancer and diabetes, and it is increasingly seen as a hidden driver of heart disease, according to Imperial.
Important: GlycA is mainly a research marker right now. It isn’t part of a standard checkup for most people. More on testing below.
The Hidden Heart Changes Seen on MRI
This is the part that makes the study stand out. It didn’t only count heart attacks and strokes. It looked inside the heart.
People with higher inflammation showed more signs of structural change, including:
- Thicker heart walls
- Smaller heart chambers
- Poorer heart filling (the heart relaxing and refilling less efficiently between beats)
These changes can develop quietly for years before progressing to heart failure, the researchers said. In other words, the damage may be building long before any chest pain, breathlessness or fatigue shows up.
The team also pinpointed inflammatory proteins from the interleukin-1 and TNF families as likely drivers. Several of those proteins are already targets of drugs in clinical trials, which raises hopes that anti-inflammatory treatments could one day help prevent heart disease before symptoms appear.
“Inflammation is part of the body’s healing process, but there is also a darker side to it,” said Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, which co-funded the work with the Medical Research Council.
What This Study Does Not Prove
Before you panic about every stressful week, some important context.
- It’s an association, not proof of cause. The study shows that high inflammation, distress and heart changes travel together. It does not prove that stress directly causes the heart damage.
- “Stress” wasn’t measured as a single thing. The research looked at psychological distress, mental health and socioeconomic factors. The “chronic stress” framing is the researchers’ interpretation of how those pieces fit together.
- It’s a UK population. UK Biobank volunteers tend to be healthier and less diverse than the general population, so results may not apply equally to everyone in the U.S.
Cardiologist Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, who was not involved in the research, told Medical News Today that the 43% difference “is a meaningful difference.” But he added that “these findings do not establish that elevated GlycA directly causes cardiovascular events, so further research is needed to determine its role as a prognostic biomarker.”
What You Can Do About Chronic Stress and Heart Health
The good news in this study is that many of the factors tied to lower inflammation are things people can work on. The steps below are general, well-established heart-health guidance, not a treatment plan from the study itself.
1. Move most days
Regular physical activity was linked to lower GlycA in the study. U.S. guidelines generally recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. A brisk walk counts.
2. Eat for your heart
A healthier diet was also tied to lower inflammation. Think more vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and whole grains, and fewer ultra-processed foods. Our breakdown of whole grains and heart health shows how much may be enough.
3. Quit smoking
Smoking was one of the clearest drivers of inflammation. O’Regan specifically named reducing smoking and obesity as things “we can do about inflammation.”
4. Protect your sleep
Poor sleep and stress feed each other. Keeping a steady schedule and a dark bedroom can help. Research we covered on nighttime light exposure and the heart suggests even your bedroom lighting may matter.
5. Treat stress like a health issue
Psychological distress showed up as a major factor. Talking to a therapist, getting support for depression or anxiety, building in daily downtime and staying socially connected are all reasonable steps. If money stress is the root, community and workplace resources can help, and that’s not a personal failing.
6. Ask about your numbers
You probably can’t order a GlycA test at your next physical. But you can ask your doctor about your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight. You can also ask whether an inflammation test such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) makes sense for you.
Preventive cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein told Medical News Today she would view GlycA “as one piece of the puzzle,” adding: “It is a risk marker, not a diagnosis or treatment target on its own.”
The Bottom Line
This large study adds to growing evidence that chronic inflammation, tied to psychological distress, money pressures, smoking and body fat, may quietly reshape the heart years before symptoms appear. It doesn’t prove stress causes heart disease. But it does suggest that the link between chronic stress and heart health is worth taking seriously.
Your next step: pick one change this week, whether that’s a daily 20-minute walk, a set bedtime or a call to a counselor. And at your next checkup, talk to your doctor about your personal heart risk and whether any inflammation testing is right for you. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath or other worrying symptoms, get medical care right away.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.
