A new study published in the journal Critical Care Medicine finds that a biomarker may help identify which family members will be most emotionally impacted by their loved one’s ICU stay. In particular, family members who showed a morning spike in cortisol were more likely to still be suffering from anxiety three months later. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone,” because it can spike during stressful times, such as when a loved one is critically ill.

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