Urban living may shield against stroke, longitudinal study finds

While urban life is often associated with stress and pollution, living in more intensely developed neighborhoods may actually protect against stroke, a new University of Michigan study suggests. The research published in Cities & Health tracked more than 25,000 adults across the United States for over a decade, and found that residents in areas with higher levels of development, characterized by more buildings, sidewalks and infrastructure, had a 2.5% lower risk of suffering a first-time stroke compared to residents in less developed areas.