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Research shows that for men just five minutes spent alone with a beautiful stranger can cause so much stress it may be bad for the heart.

The effects are even worst for men who think they are not “in the same league” as the beautiful stranger but still try to attract her interest. The anxiety rate of these men, according to scientists, is similiar to ‘jumping from an aircraft’. Their cortisol levels rise even higher, bringing on the possibility of heart attacks and strokes.

“Exposure to physical or psychological stresses for a long period of time may cause chronically elevated cortisol levels. That can have adverse effects on health as it worsens various disorders, such as myopathy, adult-onset diabetes, hypertension and impotency,” said the research team.

The study was conducted by measuring cortisol levles of 84 paid male students before and after they had been left alone with a stranger. Researchers discovered that cortisol levels stayed the same when two men were together but rose when a man was left alone with what perceived as an attractive woman.

For this study, the team concluded:

“We considered that for most men the presence of an attractive woman may induce the perception that there is an opportunity for courtship.

“While some men might avoid attractive women since they might think they are ‘out of their league’, the majority would respond with apprehension and a concurrent hormonal response.

“This study showed that male cortisol levels increased after exposure to a five-minute short social contact with a young attractive woman. It provides evidence that interpersonal interaction can influence the secretion of cortisol.”