Individuals with depressive symptoms may have an increased stroke risk according to a new study.
The researchers on this study also discovered that people with depressive symptoms were more likely to have worse recovery after a stroke.
Study author Robert P. Murphy, of the University of Galway, says: “Depression affects people around the world and can have a wide range of impacts across a person’s life.
Our study provides a broad picture of depression and its link to risk of stroke by looking at a number of factors including participants’ symptoms, life choices and antidepressant use. Our results show depressive symptoms were linked to increased stroke risk and the risk was similar across different age groups and around the world.”
This study involved 26,877 adults from the INTERSTROKE study and included individuals from 32 countries across Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Middle East and Africa. Participants had an average age of 62. More than 13,000 of these participants had a stroke.
Participants were matched with more than 13,000 individuals who had not experienced a stroke but were similar in age, sex, racial or ethnic identity.
Questionnaires that regarded any cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, were completed by participants at the beginning of the study.
Researchers collected information regarding symptoms of depression within the year prior to the study. Participants were asked whether they had felt sad, blue, or depressed for two or more consecutive weeks doing the past 12 months.
Of study participants, 18 per cent of those who had a stroke had symptoms of depression compared to 14 per cent go those who did not have a stroke.
After adjustments were made for sex, age, education, physical activity and other lifestyle factors, individuals with depressive symptoms before stroke had a 46 per cent increased risk of stroke compared to those with no symptoms of depression.
The more symptoms that participants had, their stroke risk would increase as a direct consequence. Those who reported five or more depressive symptoms had a 54 per cent higher stroke risk than those with no symptoms.
Those who reported three to four depressive symptoms and those who reported one or two symptoms had a 58 per cent and 35 per cent higher risk, respectively.
Whilst those with depressive symptoms were found to be not more likely to have more severe strokes, they were more likely to have worse outcomes one month after stroke than those without symptoms of depression.
Murphy says: “In this study we gained deeper insights into how depressive symptoms can contribute to stroke.
“Our results show that symptoms of depression can have an impact on mental health, but also increase the risk of stroke. Physicians should be looking for these symptoms of depression and can use this information to help guide health initiatives focused on stroke prevention.”
A limitation of the study was that participants filled out questionnaires about symptoms of depression only at the start of the study, so the effects of depression over time could not be measured.
