Link between depression, stroke risk among black Americans

Racial disparity is a longstanding issue in health care. A study showing the need for more research and action linked depression among black Americans and stroke risk:

The study, based on the ongoing Jackson Heart Study in Jackson, Miss., included more than 3,300 blacks between 21 and 94 years old who were screened for depression. None of the participants had a history of heart attack or stroke.

But more than 22 percent had major depression at the start of the study, and over the course of 10 years, they had a higher risk of heart disease (5.6 percent vs. 3.6 percent) and stroke (3.7 percent vs. 2.6 percent) than those without depression, the researchers found.

Participants with depression were more likely to be women, have chronic health problems, get less exercise, have lower incomes, smoke, and have a higher body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.

You've seen other news about depression as related to stroke risk, too. It's a series issue for all of us. And, perhaps, particularly an issue for some populations.

Stress, depression may boost stroke risk

Don't ignore stress and depression - it's already serious, and it could become even more serious. Check out this recent study how stress and depression may boost stroke risk:

The study found that depression seemed to raise the risk of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA) by 86 percent. It also found that stress apparently raised stroke or TIA risk by 59 percent. And hostility doubled the risk, the researchers said. A TIA is a mini-stroke caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain.

However, it's important to note that the study only found an association between the risk of stroke and negative emotions. It wasn't designed to prove that negative emotions can cause strokes.

Still, "chronic stress and negative emotions are important psychological factors that affect one's health, and findings from this study link these factors to brain health in particular," said the study's lead author, Susan Everson-Rose, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota.

"Patients and their health care providers should be aware that experiences of chronic stress and negative emotional states can increase risk for stroke," she noted.

Early treatment for depression: Stroke prevention?

Depression can be serious and needs to be taken seriously. With seriousness comes treatment, which, according to this article, could actually prevent a stroke or heart attack:

Patients who had no evidence of heart disease at the study start who received antidepressants and therapy for their depression almost halved their risk of a heart attack or stroke during the eight years of the study, compared with the standard care group, the researchers found.

"Ultimately, this line of research could produce a new approach to preventing cardiovascular disease," said study author Jesse Stewart, an associate professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis."

There's a great temptation to look away of the problem of depression, to avoid treatment. This article can open your eyes to the importance of early treatment.

Another reason to take depression seriously

Even to this day, depression is too often not taken seriously. Now, a recent study shows another reason to take depression seriously and seek solutions. The study showed that depression may be stroke trigger in women:

Depression appears to be a risk factor for stroke among middle-age women, even after accounting for other variables, an Australian study showed.

Among women in their late 40s and early 50s who were followed for up to 12 years, meeting criteria for depression was associated with more than double the likelihood of having a stroke ..., according to Caroline Jackson, PhD, and Gita Mishra, PhD, of the University of Queensland in Australia. ...

"Our findings contribute to the currently limited evidence on potential age differences in the association between depression and stroke, and suggest that the effect of depression may be even stronger in younger women," they wrote

Ten risk factors: You can impact all of them

Recent research identified the 10 risk factors for stroke:

The new study compared risk factors among 3,000 people who had a stroke to those of 3,000 age- and sex-matched individuals who did not have a stroke. Study participants came from 22 countries.

The 10 risk factors that account for 90% of stroke risk are:

• History of high blood pressure
• Current smoking
• Abdominal obesity
• Diabetes
• Lack of physical activity
• Poor diet
• More than 30 drinks per month or binge drinking
• Ratio of blood fats known as apolipoprotein B (apo B) to apolipoprotein AI (apo AI)
• Heart disease
• Psychosocial stress/depression

Now, for some of these, genetics might play a part. But for all of these, people with these risk factors can at least attempt to at least semi-control them. And it's worth the effort - a brain is at stake.

(Image from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Depression can follow a stroke

Caregivers are important for stroke survivors, especially those who suffer depression post-stroke. According to this recent study, this effects women more than men:

Brittany Poynter, M.D., and colleagues from the University of Toronto looked at 56 studies on stroke and depression comprising more than 75,000 people, about 12,000 of them women. The time between the stroke and onset of depression ranged from less than two weeks to 15 years.

In women, rates of post-stroke depression ranged from about 6 percent to 78 percent, while in men depression rates ranged from 4.7 percent to about 65 percent.

These findings are important, Poynter said, because women who have had a stroke generally do more poorly than men. They tend to have higher rates of disability and longer hospitalization times. The authors say this might be due in part to higher rates of depression. In addition, “women may have less access to care,” Poynter said.