Health Talk: Researchers Discover That Depression May Increase Your Risk Of Stroke!

According to Wikipedia, depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being. People with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, ashamed or restless.
They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt or commit suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, aches, pains, digestive problems or reduced energy may also be present.

The fact is, several situations in this country can lead to depression ( chief among them right now is probably fuel scarcity), but before you let yourself go, you might want to read this report from a recent research:

Researchers found that people who had severe symptoms of depression were more than twice as likely to have a stroke as those with no symptoms. People who had symptoms at the first interview, but had gotten better by the second interview still had a 66 percent higher stroke risk, the study authors said.

Although how stroke and depression might be linked isn't clear, other research has shown that depression increases the risk of high blood pressure, abnormalities in the nervous system and increased inflammation, the researchers said.

Moreover, depression might trigger conditions such as infection and an abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, which can increase the risk of stroke, the study authors said. In addition, depressed people are more likely to smoke and be less physically active, they added.

The report was published online May 13 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. 

No matter the situation, please fight depression, and if you notice any symptoms (similar to those stated in the first and second paragraphs), please seek medical attention immediately.