Depression as a Cause of Stroke

Middle-aged men are over three times more likely to suffer a fatal stroke if they suffer from depression, according to latest research published in the journal, Stroke.

The results are taken from an on-going study, funded by The Stroke Association, of 2,124 men aged between 49-64 years old, living in Caerphilly, South Wales. The men were studied for over 14 years after an initial medical check-up and a history of mood, smoking, blood pressure levels and other risk factors were collected.

During the follow-up, 137 strokes occurred, including 17 fatal strokes. In general, the men who suffered strokes were older, heavier and had higher blood pressure then those who didn't suffer a stroke. Those who suffered a stroke were also more likely to be current smokers.

The psychological profile of the men showed that the stroke sufferers were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression. More importantly, those with a history of psychological distress were three times more likely to risk a fatal stroke. It was noted that as depression and anxiety increased, the risk of fatal stroke increased. The study also suggested an association between depression and changes in the nervous system which regulates the contraction of blood vessels.

"There is probably a complicated inter-relationship between psychological distress and other risk factors," said Professor Shah Ebrahim, Stroke Epidemiology specialist at Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, who is involved in the study. "People with depression may be less likely to exercise, maintain a healthy lifestyle and adhere to medical therapy such as taking blood pressure lowering drugs - all things which can help to reduce the risk of a stroke."

"We already have a lot of information and emphasis on the risk of factors for stroke," says Eoin Redahan, a director of The Stroke Association. "We now need to look seriously at the role of depression in the equation and doctors and psychiatrists should be aware of this connection."

Ends

Notes to editor

1. Stroke is the Journal of the American Heart Association. Margaret May, MSc; Peter McCarron, MFPHM; Stephen Stansfeld, PhD; Yoav Ben-Shlomo, MFPHM; John Gallacher, PhD; John Yarnell, MD; George Davey Smith, DSc; Peter Elwood, PhD; Shah Ebrahim, DM. Does psychological distress predict the risk of ischaemic stroke and transient ischaemic attack? Stroke 2002; 33:7

2. This research is supported by a grant from The Stroke Association. The charity is funding just over £600,000 of research into the psychological effects of having a stroke

3. The Caerphilly research is part of the Caerphilly and Speedwell Collaborative heart disease studies. The Caerphilly and Speedwell Collaborative Group. J Epidemiology and Community Health 1984;38:259-62.

4. The Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol gained 5* rating in the recent Research Assessment Exercise.

5.The University of Bristol is one of the UK's top universities offering high quality teaching underpinned by leading-edge research. Bristol continues to be one of the most popular in the country with an average of over 11 applications per place. The University is also an international organisation with students and staff from more than 100 countries and research collaborations that extend world-wide.

6. The Stroke Association is this country's leading charity concerned with stroke, providing support to those people affected by stroke. We campaign, educate and inform to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels. We also fund and promote research which will enhance the knowledge both of the frequency, causes and outcome of stroke; and of the effectiveness of interventions aimed at stroke prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and care.

back to top|