Depression and risk of stroke are closely interrelated
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Modern people care about their health: they go in for sports, watch for proper nutrition, refuse from alcoholic beverages and tobacco, in general, they lead the most healthy way of life. But, unfortunately, not all people know that the general state of human health depends not only on the physical form, but also on the mental state. With an unsatisfactory mental state of a person, any of these actions will not be effective.
Australian researchers have conducted a number of studies, the results of which confirmed the fact that even mild depression significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This pattern is most often manifested in women older than 50 years.
For twelve years, experts from Australia have been studying the relationship of mental disorders and diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular - stroke. During the study, about 10,000 women over 45 years of age were under observation. The results of the experiment showed that the risk of stroke and other dangerous cardiovascular diseases depends on the presence of mental illness and nervous disorders. In women older than 45-50 years who suffer from depression or emotional disorders, the risks of stroke increase 2.5-3 times. Soon after receiving the results of the study, the information was published in the Australian and American editions of the Cardiology Association.
The leaders of the study consider the information received to be important for modern medicine: experts noted that the relationship between mental illness and stroke was not noticed, therefore, was not taken into account in the field of disease prevention.
Stroke is a sharp violation of blood circulation in the human brain, which can even lead to a fatal outcome due to cerebrovascular pathology. The lack of nutrition of the brain causes death of brain tissue, blockage or even rupture of blood vessels. One of the most common causes of stroke is blockage of the artery, which supplies the brain with blood, a thrombus (blood clot). Also, the cause of a stroke may be a cerebral hemorrhage caused by internal bleeding. Hemorrhage is typical for patients with atherosclerosis and for people with high blood pressure.
The study at the University of Australia lasted more than twelve years and some 10,000 women aged 45 to 55 years voluntarily participated in it. Specialists noted that about 25% of women suffered from emotional distress and mild depression. During the entire period of the experiment, Australian physicians recorded 177 cases of stroke. Analysis of the data showed that the probability of a stroke is 2.5 times higher in women with mental disorders than in women with a stable mental state. The doctors noted that during the processing of the experimental data the physical data, age, the presence of chronic diseases and the presence of bad habits were taken into account.
At the moment, the study leaders are busy studying the causes of this pattern.
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