The stress of living near a foreclosed home may increase a person’s chances of developing high blood pressure, according to research published Monday in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s journal.

While foreclosures are known to drag down the values of neighboring properties, the new research suggests that they can also undermine the health of the neighbors themselves.

The study tracked 1,750 Massachusetts residents from 1987 through 2008 and found that each foreclosure within 100 meters of a person’s home affected neighbors’ systolic blood pressure, the top number in the reading. The neighbors may be worried that nearby foreclosures are hurting the value of their homes or the safety of their communities, and that anxiety can boost blood pressure, the study said.

 


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