Newsflash: smoking is not a health supplement.

Okay, by now pretty much everyone walking the planet knows that one of the most damaging things you can do to your body is pick up a cigarette and start smoking it. (That adorable little smoking Indonesian baby probably even knows that.) But one of the scarier aspects of smoking danger is that with all we know about the practice, new and scary things emerge every day detailing all the inventive ways smoking can kill, maim or seriously disfigure you.

Take for instance, strokes. Everyone knows that smoking can seriously raise your stroke risk, and it’s not very uncommon for young smokers to suffer or even die of stroke-related causes. A new study has detailed the stroke risks along with smoking and as per usual when it comes to the practice, the evidence is even scarier than you might expect.

Smokers not only have a far higher stroke risk- nicotine addicts are three times as likely to experience a stroke- but the risk sets in ten years earlier for those who like to light up. The study included 950 people who had suffered strokes, 700 of whom turned out to be smokers. And of the smokers who suffered strokes, the average age was 58 as opposed to 67 among the non-smoking study participants.

Researcher Dr. Mike Sharma said:

“Stroke is preventable. This study highlights the sizeable role smoking has on stroke. Quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure, following a healthy diet and being physically active significantly reduce the risk of stroke.”

Stroke risk among smokers returns to non-smoker levels between 18 and 24 months after quitting occurs.

Stroke Risk Sets in Earlier, is Three Times Higher For Smokers, Study Says is a post from: The Inquisitr

In distinctly depressing news, it’s been confirmed those suffering from depression are more likely to suffer a stroke than a mentally healthy individual. Around 4% of the estimated 795,000 strokes that occur in the U.S. each year put down to depression. Not only that, but depressed individuals are more likely to have strokes that are fatal.

That’s according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Depression is still a pretty small issue when compared with conditions such as high blood pressure, but it’s a factor. Here’s what says An Pan, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and a Harvard research fellow, has to say:

“If you have depression but no other health issues, you probably don’t have to pay too much attention to stroke risk. But if you are depressed and are also obese, or have hypertension or…unhealthy lifestyle factors, your risk is going to increase dramatically.”

This is the latest of many studies to link depression to chronic disease and physical health issues, including diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. But until now, a link between depression and strokes was not recognized. Says Pan:

“We also knew that depression can occur after patients suffer a stroke. We just didn’t have strong enough evidence to know if the reverse was true, or what really comes first.”

There are other factors that are trickier to measure however, as Norman Rosenthal, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, pointed out to CNN.

Rosenthal notes those afflicted by depression are more likely to neglect taking medication for other stroke-related conditions. He also states depression can increase the production of stress hormones in the body, triggering inflammation in blood vessels.

“Little things, like keeping up good dental hygiene or socializing with friends, all affect inflammation levels – and these are things that a depressed person is less likely to do,” adds Rosenthal.

Depression Increases Risk of Strokes [Study] is a post from: The Inquisitr