Older people who are depressed or stressed are at an increased risk of suffering a stroke, a new study has shown.

US scientists focused on psychosocial distress, which includes stress, depression and having a negative outlook on life. They followed over 4,000 people for a 10-year period. All were aged 65 or older.

All of the participants underwent in-depth interviews, which took into account things such as their medical history, traditional risk factors for stroke and mental health.

The study found that those suffering from the most psychosocial distress were three times more likely to die from a stroke and were also significantly more likely to be hospitalised with a first stroke, compared to those who were the least distressed.

These findings applied to both men and women.

"People should be aware that stress and negative emotions often increase with age. Family members and caregivers need to recognise these emotions have a profound effect on health," commented lead scientist, Dr Susan Everson-Rose, of the University of Minnesota.

She added that if an older person complains of distress, ‘it's important to pay attention and recognise that these symptoms have physical effects on health outcome and clearly affect stroke risk'.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Stroke.