Coffee, Sex, Exercise Among Triggers for Ruptured Brain Aneurysm

Having sex or drinking coffee could rupture a brain aneurysm, new research suggests. When people with aneurysms--or weak spots in blood vessels in their brains--are under stress, those spots are liable to rip open, causing a stroke. Eight activities increase that risk, according to a study published Thursday in Stroke, based on an analysis of 250 patients who had a stroke resulting from an aneurysm. The findings suggest that drinking coffee increases aneurysm rupture risk by 10.6 percent, followed by vigorous exercise (7.9 increased risk), nose-blowing (5.4 percent), and having sex (4.3 percent). Other triggers include being startled, getting angry, and straining on the toilet. The common factor between the activities, the researchers said, is that they all produce sudden, brief increases in blood pressure. The risk associated with each trigger lasts about one hour. People with aneurysms should take protective steps, like drinking less coffee and treating constipation, according to the study.