Research reveals depression as sign of stroke

Berlin: A recent German study revealed that some people who have a stroke may have increased symptoms of depression in the years leading up to it, as recent findings indicate that slight increases in depressive symptoms might be a signal that a stroke is about to occur.

The study was published by the Journal of Neurology, which is issued by the American Academy of Neurology, through which researchers looked at 10,797 adults with an average age of 65 and without a history of stroke at the start of the study.

Depression is among the most pressing problems in people who have had a stroke and it is so common it is referred to as post-stroke depression, study author Maria Blochl explained, adding "our study found depressive symptoms not only markedly increase after stroke - it found people already had developed some depressive symptoms before the stroke even occurred."

The outcomes of the study warned that slight increases in depressive symptoms, especially mood and fatigue-related symptoms, may be a signal that a stroke is about to occur, which is why doctors need to monitor for symptoms of depression long term in people who have had strokes." (