Stress can cause strokes
5 October 2009
We already know that long-term stress can have a profound effect on the body. Try to reduce your stress levels as much as possible by taking regular exercise, sharing responsibilities at home and at work, and eating a healthy, balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables. 
Dr Karen Woo, associate medical director, Bupa
Long-term stress can cause a stroke, according to a new Swedish study published in the BMC Medicine Journal.
The scientists looked at 600 men and women admitted to hospital after having an ischaemic stroke. After being assessed and treated by a doctor specialising in stroke, each person was asked how stressed they had felt during the previous five years. The researchers defined stress as a prolonged feeling of tension, anxiousness, irritability or trouble sleeping.
Information was also collected about the person's health (for example, blood pressure and cholesterol level), body measurements (waist to hip ratio to look whether they were overweight) and lifestyle factors (for example, whether or not they smoked and how much regular exercise they did). This information was gathered when they were first admitted to hospital and again three months later.
The researchers compared all of the collected information with a control group. The control group was made up of 600 randomly selected people from the same geographical area in Sweden, of the same age and the same sex who hadn't had a stroke. This allowed the researchers to see which differences between the two groups were associated with the condition.
The scientists found that people who said they were under permanent psychological stress for the previous year or longer, were three times more likely to have a stroke than those who said they were not.
Unexpectedly, the researchers also found a difference in the types of ischaemic stroke people under prolonged stress had. These people were more likely to have an LVD stroke, SVD stroke or cryptogenic stroke, but not a CE stroke. However, the researchers state that because this study is a very early stage of research, further investigation needs to be carried out so we are able to understand the mechanisms at work.
Dr Karen Woo, associate medical director for Bupa, commented: "We already know that long-term stress can have a profound effect on the body. Interestingly, this study has not only found a link between stress and ischaemic stroke, but also between the different types of ischaemic stroke - something which has never been found before. However, the results rely heavily on people being able to recall the amount of stress they were under during the years prior to having their stroke. This coupled with the fact that they had just suffered a life-threatening condition, may have unduly influenced the results.
"Try to reduce your stress levels as much as possible by taking regular exercise, sharing responsibilities at home and at work, and eating a healthy, balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables."
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Related information
- Stress health factsheet
- Stress in the workplace health factsheet
- Stroke health factsheet
- Stroke - ischaemic health factsheet
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