Long-term depression is a stroke risk factor

Kocer E, Kocer A, Degirmenci Y, Eryılmaz M. Long-term depression is a stroke risk factor. Background and Aim: Only a few studies have evaluated depression prevalence in pre-stroke period in comparison to controls. We investigated this association based on a hospitalised stroke population. Methods: One hundred and forty-eight stroke patients were evaluated. The presence of depression was compared with those of 100 healthy controls without stroke, from the same region. Depression was accepted as present or not present after history and clinical evaluation according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV. Socio-demographic variables, other stroke risk factors and the time of diagnosis of depression (how many year or month they got depression) were recorded. Results: Gender and mean age of patients and controls were similar in comparison. Depression was diagnosed in 27 patients and 24 controls ( p > 0.05). The time period passed after diagnosis of depression was longer in stroke patients in comparison to controls ( p < 0.001). Conclusions: The risk of stroke should be considered in elderly with long-term depression. This indicates that treatment of depression is another factor which should be considered in prevention of brain stroke.