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Role of Personality Traits in Stroke

Stress-prone, hostile, and/or depressed people may be at greater risk of stroke.

Higher levels of stress, hostility and depressive symptoms may associate with significantly increased risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), among middle-age and older adults. Susan Everson-Rose, from the University of Minnesota (Minnesota, USA), and colleagues utilized data collected in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), involving 6749 adults, ages 45 to 84 years and free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline, conducted at 6 US sites. Subjects completed questionnaires assessing chronic stress, depressive symptoms, anger and hostility over two years. In follow-up for an additional 8.5 to 11 years, 147 strokes and 48 TIAs occurred. Compared to people with the lowest psychological scores, those with highest psychological scores were 86% more likely to have a stroke or TIA for high depressive symptoms; 59% more likely to have a stroke or TIA for the highest chronic stress scores; and more than twice as likely to have a stroke or TIA for the highest hostility scores. The study authors warn that: “Higher levels of stress, hostility, and depressive symptoms are associated with significantly increased risk of incident stroke or transient ischemic attacks in middle-aged and older adults.”

Everson-Rose SA, Roetker NS, Lutsey PL, Kershaw KN, Longstreth WT Jr, Sacco RL, Roux AV, Alonso A.  “Chronic Stress, Depressive Symptoms, Anger, Hostility, and Risk of Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.”  Stroke. 2014 Jul 10. pii: STROKEAHA.114.004815.

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