Experiencing anger, strong negative emotions, or a sudden change in body position may increase an individual’s chances of having a stroke, say researchers based on findings of a recent study .
The research is based on a survey conducted by 200 people who suffered an ischemic stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a “mini-stroke.” These types of strokes, which are among the most common, occur when blood flow to the brain is reduced. All the participants were interviewed between one and four days after having the stroke to see if they had experienced any anger, strong emotions, or sudden change in body position prior to the stroke.More than 30 percent of the group reported experiencing such events within a couple of hours before having their stroke. Thus it was observed that anger or strong negative emotions could increase the risk of stroke by about 14-times and a sudden change in body position after a startling event was linked to a 24-fold increased risk , however researchers say the increased risk is only for the two hours after the event occurs.
In conclusion researchers say the major risk factors for stroke continue to be smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, but believe factors such as those identified in this study can contribute to the condition as well.
