Chronic StressCortizolNCT07285915
The Role of Stress in Cardiac Arrest (Cortizol CPR)
A study testing Sample of hair in people with Chronic Stress and Cardiac Arrest (CA), run by University Hospital Pilsen at 1 site in Czechia.
Trial summary
The aim of this study is to assess long-term stress in patients after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. To do this, we will measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol in hair samples. Cortisol is produced in larger amounts during periods of ongoing stress and builds up in the hair as it grows. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 100 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Stress, Cardiac Arrest (CA), Post-Resuscitation Syndrome
- What is being tested?
- Sample of hair
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 136 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCzechia
- Study dates
- 8 Jan 2026to 31 Oct 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 100 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Cardiac arrest
- Heart attack
- 18 - 100 years
Who cannot join
- Disapproval patient´s relatives with the study
- Chronical treatment with corticoids and antidepresives
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Czechia1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Hospital Pilsen
Pilsen, Czech Republic, 30100
Jana Smalcova, MD, Ph.D., 775 360 017 ext. +420, jana.smalcova@gmail.com
Milan Hromadka, MD, Ph.D., 377 105 840 ext. +420, hromadka@fnplzen.cz
About this study
Official title: Stress as a Key Factor Influencing the Onset and Course of Cardiac Arrest
The aim of this study is to assess long-term stress in patients after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. To do this, we will measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol in hair samples. Cortisol is produced in larger amounts during periods of ongoing stress and builds up in the hair as it grows. Because hair grows about 1 cm per month, a 3 cm hair sample can show your average stress level over the past three months. The results will be compared with anonymized information from your medical records and the care you received before and during your hospital stay.
Read the detailed description
Despite significant advances in resuscitation medicine, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) continues to carry a poor prognosis, with survival accompanied by good neurological outcomes in only about 30% of cases. In Europe, OHCA affects approximately 67-170 individuals per 100,000 annually; in the Czech Republic, the incidence is around 90 per 100,000. Most cardiac arrests (60-70%) are of cardiovascular origin, where long-term stress is a known contributing risk factor.
Chronic stress not only influences the development of cardiovascular disease but also affects its clinical manifestation by modulating the autonomic nervous system-an essential regulator of heart rhythm and arrhythmogenic risk. Therefore, it is plausible that prolonged stress also contributes to the onset and course of cardiac arrest.
While the relationship between chronic stress and cardiovascular disease has been well documented, data specifically linking stress to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are still lacking. The pathophysiological factors influencing the onset and refractoriness of OHCA also remain unclear.
This study aims to evaluate chronic stress levels in patients after OHCA by measuring cortisol concentrations in hair samples. Since cortisol accumulates in hair during its growth, a 3 cm segment reflects stress exposure over the previous three months. These findings will be correlated with patients' demographic and clinical profiles, including post-resuscitation condition severity, neurological outcomes, and potential arrest refractoriness.
- Being tested
- Sample of hair
- Keywords
- cardiac arrest, chronic stress, kortizol, hair
- Medical subject headings
- Heart Arrest, Myocardial Infarction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Sample of hairDiagnostic test
Sampling of 3cm of hair due to level of cortizol.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac arrest | Experimental | Cardiac arrest Receives: Diagnostic Test: Sample of hair |
| Heart attack | Experimental | Heart attack Receives: Diagnostic Test: Sample of hair |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Hair cortisol levels assessment in CA patients vs heart attack patients
Hair cortisol levels assessment in CA patients vs heart attack patients
Measured: Enrollment
Secondary outcomes (2)
Correlation of neurological outcomes using the CPC scale in CA patients with hair cortisol levels.
Correlation of neurological outcomes using the CPC scale in CA patients with hair cortisol levels.
Measured: 30 and 90 days after CA
Correlation between the severity of the post-resuscitation course according to the severity of organ damage (heart, lung, kidneys, brain ) and hair cortisol levels
Correlation between the severity of the post-resuscitation course according to the severity of organ damage (heart, lung, kidneys, brain ) and hair cortisol levels
Measured: 30 days after CA
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Dec 2025
- Study start8 Jan 2026
- Primary completion31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Oct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Chronic StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Screening
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 136 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital Pilsen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07285915
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Stress
- Acronym
- Cortizol
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 1 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Stress as a Key Factor Influencing the Onset and Course of Cardiac Arrest
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07285915
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Cortizol / Stress
- Keywords
- cardiac arrest, chronic stress, kortizol, hair
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 136 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital PilsenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this study is to assess long-term stress in patients after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. To do this, we will measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol in hair samples. Cortisol is produced in larger amounts during periods of ongoing stress and builds up in the hair as it grows. Because hair grows about 1 cm per month, a 3 cm hair sample can show your average stress level over the past three months. The results will be compared with anonymized information from your medical records and the care you received before and during your hospital stay.
Detailed description
Despite significant advances in resuscitation medicine, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) continues to carry a poor prognosis, with survival accompanied by good neurological outcomes in only about 30% of cases. In Europe, OHCA affects approximately 67-170 individuals per 100,000 annually; in the Czech Republic, the incidence is around 90 per 100,000. Most cardiac arrests (60-70%) are of cardiovascular origin, where long-term stress is a known contributing risk factor.
Chronic stress not only influences the development of cardiovascular disease but also affects its clinical manifestation by modulating the autonomic nervous system-an essential regulator of heart rhythm and arrhythmogenic risk. Therefore, it is plausible that prolonged stress also contributes to the onset and course of cardiac arrest.
While the relationship between chronic stress and cardiovascular disease has been well documented, data specifically linking stress to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are still lacking. The pathophysiological factors influencing the onset and refractoriness of OHCA also remain unclear.
This study aims to evaluate chronic stress levels in patients after OHCA by measuring cortisol concentrations in hair samples. Since cortisol accumulates in hair during its growth, a 3 cm segment reflects stress exposure over the previous three months. These findings will be correlated with patients' demographic and clinical profiles, including post-resuscitation condition severity, neurological outcomes, and potential arrest refractoriness.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Screening
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac arrest | Experimental | Diagnostic Test: Sample of hairCardiac arrest |
| Heart attack | Experimental | Diagnostic Test: Sample of hairHeart attack |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 100 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Cardiac arrest
- Heart attack
- 18 - 100 years
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Disapproval patient´s relatives with the study
- Chronical treatment with corticoids and antidepresives
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Sample of hairSampling of 3cm of hair due to level of cortizol. | Diagnostic test | Cardiac arrest, Heart attack |
Primary outcome
Hair cortisol levels assessment in CA patients vs heart attack patients
Time frame: Enrollment
Hair cortisol levels assessment in CA patients vs heart attack patients
2 secondary outcomes
Correlation of neurological outcomes using the CPC scale in CA patients with hair cortisol levels.
Time frame: 30 and 90 days after CA
Correlation between the severity of the post-resuscitation course according to the severity of organ damage (heart, lung, kidneys, brain ) and hair cortisol levels
Time frame: 30 days after CA
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Sample of hair in people with Chronic Stress and Cardiac Arrest (CA), run by University Hospital Pilsen at 1 site in Czechia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Czechia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Jana Smalcova, MD, Ph.D. (775 360 017 ext. +420, jana.smalcova@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Hair cortisol levels assessment in CA patients vs heart attack patients (time frame: Enrollment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2026.