Many women plagued by anxiety after a stroke

Angie Read Doyal did not know if she would be the same after her stroke. So, when she felt ready to return to work after only seven weeks of intense physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, she was confident.

But this self-confidence was quickly undermined by severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

New research adds to the evidence that Doyal's experience is far too common.

According to a new study, one in four stroke survivors report experiencing moderate to severe anxiety two to eight weeks after stroke, with the incidence being more prevalent among single, divorced, or widowed women and women. .

"We believe that there is a two-way relationship between stroke and anxiety," said Jennifer Beauchamp, senior research investigator, researcher at the University of Texas Institute of Health. for cerebrovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases in Houston. The findings were reported this week at the International Stroke Conference of the American Stroke Association in Honolulu.

The researchers badyzed the health records of 194 survivors of ischemic stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is obstructed, thereby interrupting blood flow. It accounts for about 87% of the nearly 800,000 strokes that occur in the United States each year.

All survivors had been screened for a generalized anxiety disorder during a follow-up visit to a stroke clinic. Beauchamp and her team found that 32% of women and 21% of men reported moderate to severe anxiety. Patients with this level of anxiety were significantly more likely to be single, divorced or widowed than those without moderate to severe anxiety.

Anxiety after a stroke may be due to a combination of psychosocial factors and brain biological changes caused by the attack, said Dr. Nada El Husseini, a neurologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, who was not involved in the treatment. study. Having a history of anxiety or depression can also play a role, she said.

That was the case of Doyal, who had been diagnosed with anxiety about 15 years before his stroke and who had always easily treated him with drugs. She also had a family history of depression.

But she had never felt as overwhelmed as after her stroke.

"I had the impression of having 10 pounds of bricks on my chest," she said. "I did not sleep, I did not eat, I isolated myself, it destroyed my life."

Doctors have tried the drugs one after the other, but nothing is done there.

"It was worse than the shot itself," said Doyal. "I was scared of my own shadow."

More and more research is needed to help women like Doyal recover from a stroke, Beauchamp said, adding that the patient's anxiety could also affect the people who care for him.

According to El Husseini, while researchers seek to identify the best way to treat stroke patients suffering from anxiety, they should also "take into account other conditions predisposing patients, including grief, depression, sleep disorders, fatigue and post traumatic stress disorder, and how they relate to anxiety ".

Following his stroke in July 2017, Doyal, who was 46 years old at the time, had another one in April.

"I had to fight like crazy to get to a point where I feel comfortable most of the time," said Doyal, who sought treatment for anxiety and anxiety. depression in a hospital program. "My anxiety is still there, but I'm managing it – and luckily the depression is dormant, but I'm walking on eggshells, and I know it can come back anytime."

The American Heart Association News covers the health of the heart and brain. All opinions expressed in this story do not reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is the property of the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have any questions or comments about this story, please email [email protected].