An increased risk of stroke may be associated with people who have developed insulin resistance, according to results published in the journal Archives of Neurology.

During a recent study, a team of researchers from the University of Miami observed the likelihood of strokes in 1,509 people who developed insulin resistance, a symptom of diabetes. During a series of follow-ups, a total of 46 participants suffered from fatal or non-fatal strokes, 45 people had fatal or non-fatal heart attacks and 121 died of vascular complications.

The researchers discovered that individuals with the most resistance to insulin were 45 percent more likely to suffer from a vascular event, but it was not connected to a heart attack or related death causes.

“There are several possible reasons for the stronger effect of insulin resistance on the risk of ischemic stroke,” the authors wrote. They added that “individuals with a history of heart attack were excluded from this study, or because factors associated with insulin resistance – including high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels and low ‘good’ cholesterol levels.”

According to the American Heart Association, the rate of stroke-related deaths in the U.S. has declined by nearly 34 percent from 1995 to 2005.