We learned that sons of divorced parents have a significantly higher risk of stroke. 

To examine the possible correlation between stroke risk and parental divorce, a study from the University of Toronto controlled for known risk factors for stroke such as age, race, income and education, and risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking and obesity.   

According to the findings published in the International Journal of Stroke, adult men from divorced families were three times more likely to suffer from a stroke than men from intact families, even after statistical adjustments for other common risk factors were applied.

The same effect was not seen in females from divorced families. 

Researchers posit that the apparent link between male stroke risk and parental divorce may be due to biological imbedding.  According to the study authors, the “…exposure to the stress of parental divorce may have biological implications that change the way these boys react to stress for the rest of their lives.” 

Further research is needed to replicate the findings and determine causality, and explore why women do not seem to be equally affected.