What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the association between self-perceived stress, ischemic stroke risk, and stroke mortality across different stress levels and sexes.

January 10, 2026Frontiers in NeurologyOpen Access

The association between self-perceived stress and ischemic stroke risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

High self-perceived stress is associated with a significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke and higher stroke mortality, particularly in women. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

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Key result

High self-perceived stress is linked to increased stroke risk and mortality, particularly in women.

Why the study?

Psychological stress is recognized as a contributing factor to stroke, but correlations between self-perceived stress and stroke remain ambiguous.

Does self-perceived stress increase ischemic stroke risk and stroke mortality in the general population?

Key Points

To evaluate the association between self-perceived stress, ischemic stroke risk, and stroke mortality across different stress levels and sexes.
Searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE from inception through March 7, 2025 (PROSPERO CRD420251026081).
Included 11 studies assessing stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a single question, or two single-item questions.
Multivariable-adjusted relative risk demonstrated that self-perceived stress is independently associated with higher stroke risk and increased stroke mortality.
Subgroup analysis showed significantly elevated stroke risk in individuals with high self-perceived stress, while low self-perceived stress showed no significant association.
Sex-stratified analysis revealed that self-perceived stress is significantly associated with increased stroke risk in women, but not in men.

Structured PICO

Does self-perceived stress increase ischemic stroke risk and stroke mortality in the general population?

Population

11 studies pooling 247,873 individuals. Key inclusion criteria: prospective cohort, cross-sectional, or case-control studies investigating the association between self-perceived stress and stroke, providing risk estimates adjusted for a minimum of three established stroke risk factors.

Intervention

Self-perceived psychological stress (assessed via the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, a single-item question, or 2 single-item questions)

Comparator

Low or no self-perceived stress

Outcome

Ischemic stroke riskhard clinical

Moderate-to-high self-perceived stress is independently associated with an increased risk of incident ischemic stroke and stroke mortality, particularly in women.

Discussion

No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.

Implication

May support stress screening in stroke prevention; leaves open whether reduction improves outcomes.

Cite This Study

Li et al. (2026) studied this question. High self-perceived stress was associated with a significantly increased stroke risk (RR) and higher stroke mortality, particularly in women.

synapsesocial.com/papers/696321d091e05aa366cb812a https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1605470

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The association between self-perceived stress and ischemic stroke risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Key Points

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

The association between self-perceived stress and ischemic stroke risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Key Points

Structured PICO

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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Also Consider