Stress in Males is Related to Fatal Stroke Risk

A study by Dr. Bertil Ohlin of the University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden, has identified a relationship between the persistence of chronic stress in males and the development of cardiovascular disease. Research was done on 13,600 middle aged men and women, through collecting vital information about their lifestyle and health status indicators between 1974 and 1980, and then reassessed in 1999. Over this period of approximately two decades, it was found that men who reported to lead chronically stressful lives tended to have a greater risk of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular disease or stroke. Irregardless of the convergence of numerous other risk factors such as obesity or cigarette smoking, researchers reported a 14 percent increased likeliness for developing heart problems in participants that were identified as leading stressful lives. More startling was the finding that chronic stress in men doubled their risk of a fatal stroke. A weak relationship was also identified for women, but it did not reach statistical significance.

Explanations for this relationship have emphasized the likeliness for an increase in unhealthful behaviors by stressed out individuals, and furthermore, by the damage done through the constant presence of stress hormones. However, researchers note that no clear understanding as to why stress increases the likeliness for stroke and cardiovascular risk has been made. The suggestion of the confounding factor of lower socio-economic status and stress has been postulated as explaining this relationship, as lower incomes are related to less frequent medical examinations. However, in the Swedish study, researchers controlled for this possibility by factoring in the participants occupation. Therefore, the finding that chronic stress and fatal stroke in men remained robust regardless of socio-economic factors, suggesting that stress, particularly in males, must be lowered to promote longevity and health.

Resource: Reuters News