Chronic stress may raise women’s stroke risk
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- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Chronic stress is linked to a higher risk of stroke in women under 50, but not in men, according to a study published March 25, 2025, in Neurology.
Researchers evaluated 426 people ages 18 to 49 (average age 41, 48% women) who had an unexplained ischemic stroke (the type in which blood flow is blocked to part of the brain), comparing them to 426 people matched for age and sex who had not had a stroke. All participants completed a 10-item questionnaire about their stress levels over a one-month period, and those who’d had a stroke were asked afterward to report their stress levels in the month preceding the stroke. Stress levels were categorized as low, moderate, or high.
Among participants who had a stroke, 46% had moderate or high stress levels, compared to 33% of those who did not have a stroke. After adjusting for factors that can affect stroke risk, including blood pressure and alcohol use, researchers found that moderate stress was associated with a 78% greater stroke risk among women; high stress was associated with a 6% greater risk. No similar link between stress and stroke was found in male participants.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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