A recent research conducted by the scientists at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis has found that positive neighborhood environments are potentially good for health. Researchers claim that a lot of interaction with their neighbors significantly reduces the chances of dying from stroke. The report is published in the April 14 online edition of Stroke.

Lead Researcher Cari Jo Clark, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said that a good interaction with neighbors increases the chances of surviving a stroke.

The researchers evaluated 5,789 senior men and women living in neighborhoods in Chicago. Researchers asked about their relationships with their neighbor. They also asked about how many neighbors are known by name, how many friends could be called for help.

Results found that each increase in the neighborhood unity score, survival after stroke increased 53%. Researchers believe that further research is needed to understand the specific ways that neighborhood cohesion works to protect against stroke mortality.

Scott C. Brown, a Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine, said that neighborhoods with shared values could also promote healthy behaviors among neighbors.