A new study led by Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) in Haifa, Israel, in collaboration with four other major medical centers, reports an alarming rise in cerebral hemorrhage cases since October 7.
Dr. Estelle Seyman. Photography: Rambam HCC
A recent study, directed by Dr. Estelle Seyman, Head of Neurology B - Stroke at Rambam, with Professor Ronen Leker, Chair of the Israeli Stroke Society and Director of the Stroke Unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem, and Dr. Naim Samaan, Director of the Stroke Unit at Ziv Medical Center in Safed, documented a 20% increase in cerebral hemorrhage incidence. Researchers attribute this surge to war-related psychological stress and behavioral changes, rather than the typical causes, such as medication non-compliance or disrupted follow-up care among evacuees.
“Our hypothesis is rooted in observed behavioral changes among patients in the early months of the war,” notes Dr. Seyman. “We witnessed an influx of cerebral hemorrhage cases, with many patients reporting that disturbing war-related videos profoundly impacted them. Family members even urged them to stop watching this type of content.”
The study found that cerebral hemorrhages increased not only among those directly affected by the war but across the general Israeli population. “War-related stress is commonly linked to psychiatric conditions, anxiety, PTSD, and depression,” Leker explains. “Our findings suggest that elevated stress levels may have heightened cerebral hemorrhage risk among vulnerable groups.” He emphasized that raising public awareness about the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to distressing content could mitigate life-threatening complications.
Researchers compared the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage in 348 individuals. One group included patients hospitalized during the first three months of the war, while the control group consisted of patients from the same period in the previous year. The most notable increase occurred in the first month after October 7, with 56 cases recorded compared to 40—a 17% rise. The study also revealed higher rates of complications, intensive care admissions, and epilepsy resulting from cerebral injuries within the study group.
The findings will be presented at the Israel Stroke Society conference in November.
Based on a Hebrew article published on YNet News.