Q: Can stress actually cause brain aneurysms like Kim Kardashian’s?
Imtiaz: Stress alone doesn’t directly trigger brain aneurysm formation—that’s the straightforward answer.
Brain aneurysms develop when arterial walls weaken, typically due to factors such as elevated blood pressure, tobacco use, or genetic predisposition.
However, stress plays an indirect but significant role: Prolonged psychological stress consistently elevates blood pressure, which represents a primary risk factor for both aneurysm development and rupture.
Emerging research demonstrates that aneurysm patients frequently experience elevated chronic stress levels. Studies have identified increased hair cortisol—a reliable biomarker for long-term stress—in patients whose aneurysms have ruptured.[1][2]
While stress doesn’t spontaneously generate aneurysms, it may significantly increase rupture risk in pre-existing cases.
What Is a Brain Aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm appears as an abnormal bulge within a cerebral artery. Unruptured brain aneurysms, similar to Kardashian’s condition, occur quite frequently: approximately 6.8 million Americans live with them—roughly one in every 50 people.[3]
Most individuals with unruptured aneurysms remain unaware of their condition, as these typically remain small and asymptomatic.
In uncommon instances where aneurysms enlarge, they may produce symptoms including:[4]
- Vision problems (blurred or double vision)
- Drooping eyelid
- Enlarged pupil
- Pain located above and behind the eye
- Weakness or numbness
When an aneurysm ruptures, it creates a life-threatening emergency. Brain bleeding can trigger:[5]
- Sudden, excruciating headache (frequently described as “the most severe headache ever experienced”)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Vision disturbances
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
Medical professionals typically maintain careful observation of small, intact aneurysms while considering surgical intervention or alternative treatments when rupture risk escalates.
