Depression Increases Chance of Stroke

A study published in the journal Neurology found about 18 percent of those who suffered a stroke had symptoms of depression, compared to 14 percent of those who did not have a stroke. Researchers determined that people with symptoms of depression before stroke had a 46 percent greater risk of stroke than those with no depression symptoms. As the symptoms increased, so did the higher risk of stroke.

“Our results show depressive symptoms were linked to increased stroke risk and the risk was similar across different age groups and around the world,” said study author Dr. Robert Murphy of the University of Galway in Ireland.

The researchers used data from more than 26,000 adults from across 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 their age, sex, racial or ethnic identity.

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

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