According to a recent study in Stroke (the journal of the American Heart Association), women who fall victim to mental-health disorders such as depression are almost 30 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke. The statistics, drawn from a six-year follow-up study of US female nurses, also reveal that women who used certain types of antidepressant medication had a 39 per cent increased risk of stroke. Researchers highlighted a link between depression and other health factors, including smoking and a lack of exercise, as a possible reason for the correlation.