Email Print   Text Size
Anxiety, depression may raise stroke risk

Updated:

Health  more>> 
Genes may boost woman's risk of postpartum depression
Pregnant women with specific alterations in two genes may be at increased risk of suffering depression after giving birth, a small new study suggests.
Racial disparities seen in U.S. lung cancer treatment
Racial disparities exist in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer among hospitals in the United States, according to a large new study.
Favorite music may ease anxiety for patients
Music can help soothe the fear and anxiety of critically ill patients who have been placed on ventilators, reducing both their stress and their need for sedatives, according to a new study.
Revised sunscreen labels should help consumers make wiser choices
Dermatologists are saying that new federally mandated labeling laws for sunscreens should help Americans make smarter choices when it comes to products that provide the best sun protection.
Living near major roadways in pregnancy tied to respiratory woes in children
A child whose mother lived near heavy traffic while pregnant faces a relatively higher risk for developing a respiratory infection before the age of 3, a new study suggests.
Noise, dirty air may be double whammy for the heart
Air pollution and noise pollution both may boost the risk of heart disease, new research from Germany suggests.
Many can blame family for their bunions
If you've got bunions, chances are others in your family suffer from the common foot disorder, with a new study finding the condition is often passed down from parents to children.
ADHD in childhood may raise risk for obesity in adulthood
Boys who are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are twice as likely to become obese adults as those who didn't have the disorder when they were young, a new 30-year study shows.
Latest edition of psychiatry's 'bible' launched amid controversy
As the American Psychiatric Association unveils the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry this weekend, the uproar over its many changes continues.
Swallowing magnets can be fatal for children
Children who swallow high-powered magnets often need surgery and other invasive procedures to remove the objects, according to a new study.

MONDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from anxiety, depression, sleeplessness or other forms of psychological distress are at greater risk of death from a stroke, according to a new study.

Researchers from University College London pointed out that psychological distress affects about 15 percent to 20 percent of the general population. Previous research has linked these common mental conditions with coronary artery disease, but an association with stroke and other cardiovascular diseases has not been established, they said.

The researchers examined information from a study of 68,652 adults who participated in the Health Survey for England. The vast majority of participants were white, 45 percent were men and the average was about 55.

Nearly 15 percent of the people questioned said they were affected by psychological distress, most of them women. Those who reported having psychological distress also tended to be younger, smokers and taking medication for high blood pressure. They also tended to have lower incomes, the researchers added.

After following the participants for an average of about eight years, the study's authors found 2,367 deaths from ischemic heart disease (blocked artery), stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

The study was published June 18 in CMAJ.

"Psychological distress was associated with death from cardiovascular disease, and the relation remained consistent for specific disease outcomes, including ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease," Dr. Mark Hamer, of the college department of epidemiology and public health, and his co-authors said in a journal news release. "We saw an association between psychological distress and risk of cerebrovascular disease among our participants, all of whom had been free from cardiovascular disease at baseline. This association was similar in size to the association between psychological distress and ischemic heart disease in the same group."

The researchers concluded that questionnaires could help doctors screen their patients for common mental illnesses, which could reduce their risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on the causes of stroke.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in or provided through this site section is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use of this site section and any information contained on or provided through this site section is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site section is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and KSTP-TV, LLC, a Hubbard Broadcasting Company. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.