More young people are having a stroke, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Compared with rates about a decade ago, the risk of stroke has increased by about 15 percent among Americans under 65 alone. While adults 65 and older still have the highest rate of stroke, their incidence has remained stable over the same time period.
The report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, points to an increase in stroke risk factors, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, in younger adults as the reason behind the rising numbers.
Stroke is more common in younger people
For the CDC report, researchers compared self-reported health data of participants from 2011 to 2013, with information collected between 2020 and 2022. They found that the prevalence of stroke in people aged 18 to 44 and 45 to 64 increased by 14,6, 15,7% and XNUMX%, respectively.
During the same period, the overall prevalence of stroke increased by 7,8% nationally and the rates were higher for both women and men. The greatest increase in stroke prevalence (18,2%) occurred among adults with less than a high school education compared to any other group.
Although stroke rates among young people have increased, researchers note that it remains relatively uncommon for younger adults to have a stroke. More specifically, the chances of stroke in people aged 18 to 44 are 0,9%. That percentage rises to 3,8 for someone who is 45 to 64 years old.
What is behind the increase?
"The increased prevalence of adults reporting having had a stroke could indicate increased survival rates due to improvements in treatment and patient care," said Dr. Omoye Imoisili, an author of the report and a physician in the CDC's Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.
"However, the increase in event prevalence has also corresponded with increases in other cardiovascular risk factors" over the past two decades. These include obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
Over time, these conditions cause harmful deposits to form in your blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow through the arteries, the researchers explain. This increases the risk of a plaque breaking off, forming a clot that can travel to the brain, resulting in a stroke.
Harmful habits such as smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and excessive alcohol use could also be responsible for increasing the incidence of stroke in young people, they add. These behaviors can increase the risk of developing chronic conditions that can, in turn, lead to stroke.
How do you avoid it?
Although you can't control some risk factors, such as genes, others can be adjusted to help lower your risk.
Regular exercise can reduce the chances of stroke, as can a diet low in sugar and salt and high in fruit and vegetables. It is equally important to avoid or stop smoking if you have already started.
The researchers also stress the importance of managing chronic conditions, such as obesity or diabetes, with input from your doctor.
Source: in.gr