Try smiling more – it could lower your risk of a stroke by up to 46%, study suggests
Try smiling more — it can lower your stroke risk by as much as 46%, research suggests
Suffering from depression can significantly increase a person’s risk of stroke, a study suggests.
A European research team found that people with the mental disorder were 46 percent more likely to experience a potentially fatal neurological event.
Those who have more symptoms of depression are even more likely to have a stroke. Of the 26,877 study participants, those who had at least five symptoms had a 56 percent increased risk.
Depression is known to damage a person’s platelets, which are responsible for preventing clotting. Many strokes are caused by clotting, which prevents vital blood from reaching the brain.
A notable case of co-occurring depression and stroke is that of Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who recently stepped down from his legislative duties due to his health problems.
People who suffer from depression have a greatly increased risk of stroke, a new study finds
About 800,000 Americans have a stroke each year. More than one in five leads to death.
Research was published Wednesday in Neurology.