Research reported by Reuters found that strokes– and their risk factors– are becoming more common in younger adults.
The most common type of stroke, known as an ischemic stroke, occurs when a clot blocks an artery carrying blood to the brain. When researchers examined hospital billing data on acute ischemic stroke hospitalizations for adults under age 65 from 2003 to 2012, they found the biggest surge in stroke rates for adults aged 35 to 44.
During the study period, stroke hospitalizations in that age group rose 42 percent for men and 30 percent for women, researchers report in JAMA Neurology.
The proportion of people with at least three of the five major risk factors for stroke – high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking – rose in all age groups but soared the most, almost doubling, in adults aged 35 to 44.
Read more at www.reuters.com
