(ABC) -- The latest research finds that a common after-effect of strokes can indicate a higher chance of death.
Almost 800,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 140,000 of them die as a result.
Now, a study presented to the American Academy of Neurology finds that those who develop depression following a stroke may have a markedly higher risk of dying.
Researchers followed 10,550 people between the ages of 25 and 74 for 21 years.
They found that those who suffered a stroke and developed depression afterward had a three times greater risk of dying early and a four times greater risk of death than those who did not have either a stroke or depression.
The authors note that up to one in three stroke victims develops depression.
Family members who stay on the alert for signs of depression in loved ones who’ve had strokes may help save their lives.
