LOS ANGELES -
At 29 years old Nancy
Virgen never thought she would have a stroke.
She also lost her
sight. As she tried to recover physically, she began to suffer emotionally.
A new study from the University
of Southern California Keck School of Medicine finds stroke survivors who
become depressed are three times more likely to die early and four times more
likely to die from another stroke.
Up to one in three
people who have a stroke develop depression. Experts say it's key to keep an
eye out for changes in behavior so symptoms can be managed.
Signs can include
difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, concentration problems, and loss of
interest in favorite activities.
Nancy faced her
depression head on. She tried medication but says it was the support of her
family that got her through.
She wants other stroke victims to know
their depression is real, and to reach out for help like she did.
The
Centers for Disease Control says more than 800,000 people die each year due to
stroke in the United States.
