STRESS is something everyone feels at times, whether it’s from your job or something personal.
But some people living with chronic stress – feel pressured and overwhelmed for a long period of time – could be at higher risk of stroke, warns a new study.
Stress may increase the risk of stroke in younger women, according to a new study[/caption]
The research looked at people who’d had an ischemic stroke – the most common type of stroke[/caption]
The research specifically looked at younger adults and found a link between stress and the life-threatening condition, with no known cause, in females, but not males.
While the study, published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, shows an association between the two, it doesn’t prove stress causes stroke.
Nicolas Martinez-Majander of the Helsinki University Hospital in Finland, who worked on the study, 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.”
As part of the study, the researchers looked at 426 people aged 18 to 49 who had an ischemic stroke with no known cause.
They were matched with 426 people of the same age and sex who didn’t have stroke.
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke.
It occurs when a blood clot or plaque blocks blood flow to the brain and can lead to weakness, trouble speaking, vision problems, or even death.
The participants completed a questionnaire about stress levels over a one-month period.
Those who had a stroke were asked after it happened to record stress levels in the month prior.
All participants were asked 10 questions, such as ‘in the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?’
A scoring system from zero to four was used for the answers, for example, four meant ‘very often’.
Total scores were then calculated – 0 to 13 represented low stress, 14 to 26 moderate stress, and 27 to 40 high stress.
Those who had a stroke had an average score of 13, whereas those that didn’t had an average score of 10.
Of those who had a stroke, 46 per cent had moderate or high stress levels, compared to 33 per cent who didn’t have a stroke.
After adjusting for factors that could affect the risk of stroke, such as education level, alcohol use and blood pressure, the researchers found for female participants, moderate stress was linked to a 78 per cent increased risk of stroke.
High stress was linked to a 6 per cent increased risk.
No link was found between stress and stroke in male participants.
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.
“Knowing more about how stress plays a role could help us create better ways to prevent these strokes.”
One limitation of the study was people experiencing higher levels of stress may have been less likely to enrol in the study, which could have affected the results.
10 stress-busting tips
IF you’re feeling stressed the first step is to identify the cause.
The NHS then recommends trying these stress-busting suggestions…
Be active
Exercise can help reduce some of the emotional intensity.
Take control
If you think you cannot do anything about your problem, your stress can get worse.
Taking control of the situation is self empowering and a crucial part of finding a solution.
Connect with people
A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.
Have some ‘me time’
Take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise.
Challenge yourself
Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, can help build confidence and help you deal with stress.
Avoid unhealthy habits
Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping – they’ll create new problems.
Help other people
Evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, often become more resilient.
Work smarter, not harder
Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that’ll make a real difference.
Leave the least important tasks to last. Accept that you will not have time for everything.
Try to be positive
Look for the positives in life, and things for which you’re grateful.
Try writing down three things that went well, or for which you’re grateful, at the end of every day.
Source: NHS
