Women who regularly feel stressed are more likely to have a stroke compared to those who are not affected by chronic stress, new evidence has shared.
A recent study has found that younger females living with chronic stress are at greater risk of having a stroke compared to younger men.
Senior author Dr Nicolas Martinez-Majander said: “Younger people often experience stress due to the demands and pressures associated with work, including long hours and job insecurity, as well as financial burdens.
“Previous research has shown that chronic stress can negatively affect physical and mental health. Our study found it may increase the risk of stroke in younger women.”
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An ischemic stroke happens when a blood clot or plaque blocks blood flow to the brain. It is the most common type of stroke.
A total of 426 people took part in the study, all of whom had an ischemic stroke with no known cause.
Each participant filled in a survey to outline how often they feel stressed, particularly in the month leading up to their stroke.
For each question, the participant was scored from zero to four based on how often they feel stressed, with four meaning ‘very often’.
Participants with a final score of 0 to 13 represented low stress. Meanwhile, those with a total score of 14 to 26 represented moderate stress and 27 to 40 represented high stress.
Most people who have had a stroke scored at least 13 points, whereas those who have not had a stroke had an average score of 10.
Among those who had a stroke, 46% had moderate or high stress levels, comparing to 33% of those who have not had a stroke.
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According to the research, a link between chronic stress and a high risk of a stroke was only seen among female participants.
Dr Martinez-Majander said: “More research is needed to understand why women who feel stressed, but not men, may have a higher risk of stroke.
“In addition, we need to further explore why the risk of stroke in women was higher for moderate stress than high stress.”
Dr Martinez-Majander concluded: “Knowing more about how stress plays a role could help us to create better ways to prevent these strokes.”
Read the full study in the journal Neurology®.
