Chronic stress can affect both physical and psychological well-being, causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, according to the American Psychological Association. Research shows that chronic stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression and obesity.

The study’s lead author, Elena Ghotbi, M.D., a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, developed and trained a deep learning model to measure adrenal gland volume on existing CT scans.

Each year, tens of millions of chest CT scans are performed in the United States alone.