Young women who live with ongoing stress may face a higher risk of having a stroke, according to a study published on March 5, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study focused on adults aged 18 to 49 and found that women with moderate or high levels of stress were more likely to experience a type of stroke where blood flow to the brain is suddenly blocked, known as ischemic stroke. However, the same link was not found in men.
Dr. Nicolas Martinez-Majander, the lead researcher from Helsinki University Hospital in Finland, explained that stress in younger adults often comes from work pressure, financial worries, and job insecurity. “Chronic stress is already known to impact both physical and mental health. Our research suggests it may also raise stroke risk—especially for younger women,” he said.
The study included 426 people between the ages of 18 and 49 who had suffered an ischemic stroke with no known cause. Each person was matched with someone of the same age and sex who had not had a stroke.
All participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure their stress levels over the course of a month. Those who had a stroke were asked to report on their stress levels during the month before their stroke occurred.
The questionnaire included ten questions, such as “How often did you feel you were unable to control important things in your life?” Each question was scored from 0 to 4, with higher scores reflecting more frequent stress. A total score of 0 to 13 was considered low stress, 14 to 26 moderate stress, and 27 to 40 high stress.
On average, the people who had a stroke scored 13 on the stress scale, compared to a score of 10 for those who had not had a stroke. Nearly half of those who had experienced a stroke (46%) had moderate or high stress levels. In contrast, only 33% of those without stroke had stress levels in that range.
After accounting for other possible influences like education, blood pressure, and alcohol use, researchers found a striking pattern among women. Women with moderate stress had a 78% higher risk of stroke compared to those with low stress. Surprisingly, women with high stress had only a 6% increased risk. In men, no link between stress and stroke was found.
The study raises new questions about how stress affects stroke risk differently in women and men. It also brings attention to the unusual finding that moderate stress seemed more dangerous than high stress for women in this case. Researchers aren’t sure why this is, but they hope future studies will help explain the pattern.
Dr. Martinez-Majander noted that understanding how stress affects the body could lead to better ways to prevent stroke, especially in women. “We need to learn more about why stress increases stroke risk in women, and why moderate levels seemed more harmful than high levels. That could help us create better prevention strategies,” he said.
One limitation of the study is that people who felt extremely stressed may have been less likely to participate, which could have influenced the results. Still, the findings highlight the importance of recognizing stress as a serious health concern—particularly for young women.
In summary, this research adds to growing evidence that stress is not just a mental burden but may also affect brain health. While more studies are needed, it serves as an important reminder of the need to manage stress, especially in women under 50, to protect their long-term health.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about how to eat to prevent stroke, and diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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