Depression increases the chances of having a stroke

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, March 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) — In another example of the mind-body connection, people with symptoms of depression may face an increased risk of having a stroke, as well as a poorer recovery afterwards.

A new international study, published online March 8 in the journal Neurology, found that about 18% of those who had had a stroke had symptoms of depression, compared to 14% of those who had not had a stroke.

After adjusting for other contributing factors, researchers determined that people with symptoms of depression before stroke had a 46% increased risk of stroke overall compared to those without symptoms of depression.

As the symptoms increased, the risk of stroke also increased.

“Depression affects people all over the world and can have a wide range of impacts on a person’s life,” the study author said. Dr. Robert Murphyfrom the University of Galway in Ireland.

“Our study provides an overview of depression and its link to stroke risk by examining a number of factors, including participants’ symptoms, lifestyle choices, and use of antidepressants.” Murphy said in a press release. “Our results show that depressive symptoms were linked to an increased risk of stroke and that the risk was similar across different age groups and around the world.”

The researchers used data from more than 26,000 adults in the INTERSTROKE study, which included 32 countries from Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Middle East and Africa.

More than 13,000 of the participants had a stroke. They were matched with more than 13,000 people who had not had a stroke but were similar in age, gender, racial or ethnic identity.

Information was collected about symptoms of depression in the year before the study, including whether participants had felt sad, blue or depressed for two or more consecutive weeks in the previous 12 months.

Participants also answered questions at the start of the study about cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

The researchers found that people who reported five or more symptoms of depression had a 54% higher risk of stroke than those who had no symptoms. Those who reported three to four symptoms of depression had a 58% higher risk and those who reported one or two symptoms of depression had a 35% higher risk.

People who had symptoms of depression were not more likely to have severe strokes. They were, however, more likely to have worse outcomes one month after the stroke.

A limitation of the study is that symptoms of depression were only assessed at the start of the study and not over time.

“In this study, we gained deeper insights into how depressive symptoms can contribute to stroke,” Murphy said. “Our results show that symptoms of depression can impact mental health, but also increase the risk of stroke. Physicians should look for these symptoms of depression and can use this information to help guide focused health initiatives. on stroke prevention.

SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology, press release, March 8, 2023

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