Aggression can increase stroke risk, study claims

Individuals prone to aggressive behaviour could be putting themselves at an increased risk of stroke, according to a recent study.

Researchers have found that people with a type A personality have twice the chance of experiencing a stroke than their calmer counterparts - a risk increase higher than that of smokers.

The discovery was made by scientists in Spain, who compared the personalities of 150 stroke patients with 300 healthy participants.

It was observed that those who had experienced a stroke were on average more hostile, aggressive, impatient and quick tempered.

Risk was also heightened among those that had endured a major life event in the last year, such as bereavement. Furthermore, risk was found to be irrespective of gender.

Dr Jose Antonio Egido, neurologist at San Carlos University Hospital in Madrid, commented: "Addressing the influence of psychophysical factors [such as stress] on stroke could constitute an additional therapeutic line in the primary prevention of stroke in the at-risk population and, as such, warrants further investigation."

This adds to the growing body of evidence that mental illness can increase the risk of stroke and other conditions that affect the brain, such as dementia.

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