People whose parents divorced when they were children are more likely to suffer a stroke in later life, a study suggests.

Experts are unsure what is driving the increased risk, but believe a flood of stress hormones in childhood may bring long-lasting health impacts.

Survey responses from more than 13,000 people aged 65 and older were studied by US and Canadian researchers who found those whose parents divorced were about 60 per cent more likely to have had a stroke.

One in nine whose parents had divorced reported that they had been diagnosed with a stroke, compared with one in 15 of those whose parents had stayed together.

“We need to shed light on the mechanisms that may contribute to this association,” said Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson, of the University of Toronto.