Another instance of the mind-body connection those who suffer from depression could be at chance of suffering stroke and an earlier recovery.
A study from the United States that was published online on April 8 by the journal Neurology, found about 18% of patients who had suffered from a stroke also had depression-related symptoms, as against 14 percent of those who didn’t suffer from the stroke.
After taking into account other contributing factors, scientists found that those who had symptoms of depression prior to stroke were at an overall 46% higher risk of suffering a stroke, compared with those who did not have any symptoms of depression.
As symptoms grew and the severity increased, so did the risk of having a stroke.
“Depression can affect people all over the globe and has many different effects throughout a person’s lifetime,” said study author Dr. Robert Murphy, of the University of Galway in Ireland.
“Our study presents a complete overview of depression and its connection to stroke risk through a range of factors , including patients’ symptoms, their life choices, and use of antidepressants,” Murphy said in a journal announcement. “Our findings suggest that depression symptoms are linked to an increased risk of stroke and the risk was comparable to different age groups as well as all over the world.”
The researchers analyzed information from over 26,000 adult participants within the INTERSTROKE study, which encompassed 32 countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Middle East and Africa.
Over 13,000 participants had suffered a stroke. They were matched up with over 13,000 others who had not suffered stroke, but who were comparable in terms of age, sex and ethnicity, as well as racial or cultural.
Data was collected on depression-related symptoms during the year preceding the study, such as whether the participants felt sad, depressed or blue, or were depressed for a period of two or more consecutive weeks during the preceding 12 months.
Participants also participated in a survey at the beginning of the study regarding the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Researchers discovered that people who had five or more symptoms of depression were at an increased risk of 54% of having a stroke than people with no indications. People who had reported three to four signs of depression had an increase of 58% in risk, while those who had only one or two signs of depression were at an increased risk of 35%.
People who suffered from depression symptoms were not more likely to suffer from serious strokes.
However, they were more likely to have poorer outcomes one month following the stroke.
The study’s limitation is that symptoms of depression were only evaluated at the beginning of the study, and not in the course of time.
“In the study we gained more knowledge of how depression-related symptoms can lead to strokes,” Murphy said. “Our results suggest that the signs of depression can not only have an influence on mental health but they can also increase the likelihood of having a stroke. Medical professionals should be aware of the signs of depression, and they can utilize this data to guide efforts to improve health and promote the prevention of stroke.”
