Experiencing parental divorce during childhood can significantly increase the likelihood of stroke later in life — even when the child is not exposed to physical or sexual abuse. These findings come from researchers in Canada and the United States, and the study was published in PLOS One.

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and disability. In addition to well-known risk factors — smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure — scientists are increasingly examining early-life experiences. These adverse circumstances include abuse, neglect, and family conflict. However, divorce has long been grouped together with more severe forms of trauma, making it difficult to assess its impact separately.

A research team — Mary Kate Schilke from Tyndale University, Philip Baiden from the University of Texas at Arlington, and Esme Fuller-Thomson from the University of Toronto — set out to conduct a more precise analysis.

The scientists used data from the CDC’s large Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey from 2022. They examined responses from 13,205 Americans over age 65 across eight states where additional questions about childhood experiences were included. All respondents reporting childhood physical or sexual abuse were excluded to isolate the impact of divorce alone.

The statistical analysis showed that those who experienced parental divorce had a 61% higher likelihood of stroke. This figure is comparable to well-known medical risk factors: diabetes increased risk by 37%, and depression by 76%. The association was the same for both men and women.

The researchers offered several possible explanations. One of the main ones is chronic stress related to parental divorce, which may involve family conflict, financial instability, and social isolation. Such early-life stress can disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the stress response. Prolonged activation of this system can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease decades later.