1. Psychological Stress Increases the Risk of Stroke
A study published in the March 2008 issue of the journal Neurology examined stroke risk in more than 20,000 people aged 41 to 80 years who had no history of stroke at the beginning of the study. During the 8.5-year study, 595 strokes occurred in this group of people, and more than a quarter of these were fatal. After accounting for the effects of known stroke risk factors like smoking, age, and other factors, the researchers found that the risk of stroke increased with the level of emotional stress a person reported. The researchers also asked about depression symptoms, and they found that the risk of stroke was not increased in people who were depressed.
2. Stress-induced Blood Pressure Spikes Boost the Stroke Risk
Stress has lots of detrimental effects, but one that seems closely related to stroke risk is its effect on blood pressure. Some people seem to have an exaggerated response to stressful situations that sends their blood pressure way up. This was illustrated in a Finnish study conducted in 2000 men taking an exercise tolerance test on a bicycle. Some of the men experienced large blood pressure spikes in anticipation of the test, and they had an 87% increased risk of strokes caused by blood clots. For every 1-mm increase in systolic blood pressure as the men waited to take the exercise test, the risk of stroke increased 1.5% during the next 11 years. People who respond to stressful situations this way are sometimes called "hot reactors."
3. Chronic Stress may be More Dangerous than Acute Stress
In a 21-year follow-up study of more than 13, 000 people in Sweden, those who reported being under chronic stress were more likely than other people to suffer fatal strokes. The trend was similar for women, but not as strong. Similar findings are reported from other studies.
4. Stress may be Associated with Clumpy Platelets
During an ischemic stroke, the most common kind of stroke, a blood clot travels to the arteries that feed the brain, blocking blood flow to the head. How could stress be associated with clots? It's not clear, but scientists speculate that stroke, migraine, and high blood pressure, all of which can be stress-related, may also be linked to a condition called systemic platelet aggregation. This is a condition in which platelets get very sticky or clumpy, which increases the risk of stroke.
5. Stress may have Indirect Effects on Stroke Risk
Think about the possible effects of stress on lifestyle. When deeply stressed, some people react by stopping their usual exercise routines, eating more, drinking more alcohol, getting angry or hostile, and even going back to a smoking habit they quit years ago. These are stroke risk factors, too, and it's easy to see how uncontrolled stress could lead to stroke indirectly through lifestyle.
