Strangely, the incidence of strokes has been going down in the old and going up in the young, a group that was previously never considered being at high risk for the debilitating and deadly condition, caused by a blood clot or bleeding in the brain.
According to new data, the incidence rates of strokes that occurred among those ages 20 to 45 rose from 4.5 percent in 1993-94 to 7.3 percent in 2005. Among whites aged 45 to 54, the annual incidence of stroke increased from 74 per 100,000 in 1993-’94 to 96 per 100,000 in 2005. Among African-Americans in that age group, strokes increased from 225 per 100,000 to 302.The shift was so pronounced that in those dozen years, from 1993-’94 to 2005, the average age of the first stroke dropped from 71 to 68.
The study’s lead author Brett M. Kissela, Associate Professor, Co-Director of the Neurology Residency Program, and Vice-Chair of Education and Clinical Services at the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute said, “This is scary and very concerning. What was shocking was the proportion of patients under age 45. The proportion and the incidence rates are up. Stroke is a life-changing, devastating disease. It can affect young people, and we hope these data will serve as a wake-up call.”
The study was presented at an American Stroke Association conference in San Antonio and linked this increasing incidence of stroke to a rise in obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure in the young. High blood pressure poses the biggest risk of a stroke among younger people. High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke four times in people who are in their 50s, compared with two times for those in their 70s.
Brian Silver, a spokesman for the American Stroke Association and a stroke neurologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said, “Obesity can strain the heart, leading to hypertension, and it can also lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. Both diabetes and hypertension are primary risk factors for stroke. Over time, small strokes deep within the brain can lead to memory and thinking problems and, ultimately, dementia.”
In the event of a stroke, research has shown that people do better if they’re taken to what’s known as a primary stroke centre, a specialty hospital that follows evidence-based protocols in caring for stroke victims, such as administering clot-busting drugs quickly.
Written by Snigdha Taduri