Urban living may reduce risk of first-time stroke

While urban life is often associated with stress and pollution, living in more intensely developed neighborhoods may actually protect against stroke, a new University of Michigan study suggests.

The research tracked more than 25,000 adults across the United States for over a decade, and found that residents in areas with higher levels of development, characterized by more buildings, sidewalks and infrastructure, had a 2.5% lower risk of suffering a first-time stroke compared to residents in less developed areas.

To address this, Antonakos and colleagues moved away from one-time snapshots and instead used satellite data to measure development intensity over time in 5-mile (8-km) road networks surrounding more than 34,000 residential locations. They found that the link between high/medium intensity development and reduced stroke risk remained-even after accounting for age, race, sex and preexisting conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

"For physicians, the study suggests that neighborhood-level factors may influence first-time stroke risk, in addition to individual-level factors," she said. "For planners, the findings suggest that enhancing environments with features that support cardiovascular health and physical activity may help lower the risk of first-time stroke."

Co-authors include: Ian-Marshall Lang, Stephanie Miller and Natalie Colabianch, University of Michigan; Suzanne Judd, University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Matthew Flaherty, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.

Source:

University of Michigan

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