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Depression and stroke risk are closely linked
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Modern people take care of their health: they play sports, watch their diet, give up alcohol and tobacco, in general, lead the healthiest lifestyle possible. But, unfortunately, not all people know that a person's general health depends not only on their physical fitness, but also on their mental state. If a person's mental state is unsatisfactory, all these actions will not be effective.
Australian scientists have conducted a number of studies, the results of which have confirmed the fact that even mild depression significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This pattern is most often seen in women over 50 years of age.
For twelve years, specialists from Australia studied the relationship between mental disorders and cardiovascular diseases, in particular, stroke. During the study, about 10,000 women over 45 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 illnesses and nervous disorders. In women over 45-50 years old who suffer from depression or emotional disorders, the risk of stroke increases by 2.5-3 times. Soon after receiving the results of the study, the information was published in Australian and American editions of the Cardiology Association.
The study's leaders believe that the information obtained is important for modern medicine: the experts noted that the connection between mental illness and stroke had not been noticed, and therefore was not taken into account in the field of disease prevention.
A stroke is a sudden disruption of blood circulation in the human brain, which can even lead to death due to cerebrovascular pathology. Insufficient nutrition of the brain causes the death of brain tissue, blockage or even rupture of blood vessels. One of the most common causes of a stroke is the blockage of an artery that supplies the brain with blood, a thrombus (blood clot). A stroke can also be caused by a hemorrhage in the brain caused by internal bleeding. Hemorrhage is typical for patients with atherosclerosis and for people with high blood pressure.
The study, conducted at the University of Australia, lasted more than twelve years and involved about 10,000 women aged 45 to 55 years. Experts noted that about 25% of women suffered from emotional disorders and mild depression. During the entire period of the experiment, Australian doctors recorded 177 cases of stroke. Data analysis showed that the probability of stroke is 2.5 times higher in women with mental disorders than in women with a stable mental state. Doctors noted that during the processing of the experimental data, physical data, age, presence of chronic diseases and presence of bad habits were taken into account.
Currently, the study's leaders are busy studying the reasons for this pattern.
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