Worrying rise in the number of young Americans suffering strokes, experts warn
- Between 2000 and 2010 hospital admissions for ischemic stroke in US fell
- But among 25 to 44 year olds, admissions rose by 43.8%, say experts
- Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke, and is caused by a blockage in an artery, which in turn restricts blood flow to the brain
- Overall, hospitalization rates in US fell by 28% in 65-84 year olds, and 22% in those people older than 85, over the course of the decade
- Experts also noted a rise in hospitalizations among African Americans
Lizzie Parry For Dailymail.com
View
comments
A new study has revealed a troubling rise in the number of young people suffering stroke in the US
A troubling rise in the number of young people suffering strokes has been recorded by scientists in the US.
While across the country, fewer people are being hospitalized for stroke, there has been a surge in the number of young people and African Americans suffering the life-threatening illness, a new study has shown.
The statistics specifically relate to the most common form of stroke, ischemic strokes.
Ischemic stroke accounts for around 87 per cent of all cases.
It occurs as a result of an obstruction in the artery – the blood vessel supplying blood to the brain.
While hospitalization rates fell 28 per cent in people aged 65 to 84, and 22.1 per cent in those older than 85, between 2000 and 2010, there was an increase in younger adults.
Researchers at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles recorded a 43.8 per cent rise in ischemic strokes in people aged 25 to 44.
Meanwhile, among those people aged 45 to 64, that number rose by 4.7 per cent.
Overall, the number of adults admitted to US hospitals with ischemic stroke fell 18.4 per cent.
To arrive at their conclusions, researchers analyzed a national database, which collects information on about eight million hospital stays each year.
-
Could exposure to common chemicals stop women breastfeeding?…
Think you’re depressed? It could be adult ADHD: Mark was…
Emotional eating starts in CHILDHOOD: Children given treats…
What’s really in YOUR burger? Tests reveal traces of rat and…
Dr Lucas Ramirez, neurology resident at the Keck School of Medicine at the UCLA, said: ‘Overall, the hospitalization rate is down, with the greatest drop in people aged 65 and older.
‘We can’t say from this study design what factors have led to this decline, but it may be that preventive efforts, such as better blood pressure and blood sugar control, are having the effect that we want in this age group.’
HOW TO SPOT A STROKE
F.A.S.T is an easy way to remember how to spot the signs a person may be suffering a stroke.
F – Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile, is their smile uneven?
A – Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S – Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or are they hard to understand? Ask them to repeat a simple sentence, like: ‘The sky is blue.’ Is the sentence repeated correctly?
T – Time to call an ambulance: If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if they go away, call 911 (999 in the UK), and get the person to hospital immediately. Check the time so you know when the first symptoms appeared.
Source: American Stroke Assocation
Dr Ramirez and his team showed age-adjusted hospitalizations for ischemic stroke declined in both whites (down 12.4 per cent) and Hispanics (down 21.7 per cent) between 2000 and 2010.
But their investigations revealed that figure increased by 13.7 per cent in African Americans.
Dr Ramirez said: ‘African Americans already had the highest rate of stroke hospitalizations and it has unfortunately increased.
‘This reinforces that we need to make sure that our efforts for stroke prevention and education reach all groups.’
As expected, based on past research, the data showed that women have lower age-adjusted rates of stroke hospitalization and experienced a steeper decline during the decade from 2000 to 2010 (down 22.1 per cent) than men (down 17.8 per cent).
While the researchers do not point to any specific reasons for the rise in stroke among young people, there are a number of risk factors that can be mitigated through living a healthy lifestyle.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.
As such, it is the most important controllable factor.
Other lifestyle factors that increase a person’s risk including smoking, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, poor diet, a lack of exercise and obesity.
The findings are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
Between 2000 and 2010, there was a 43.8 per cent rise in ischemic strokes – caused by a blockage – in people aged 25 to 44. An ischemic stroke – the most common form of stroke – is one which is caused by a blockage in an artery, which in turn prevents blood from reaching the brain
Share or comment on this article
-
The moment groom’s alleged mistress crashes his WEDDING
-
Woman beaten in broad daylight as people stand and watch
-
Heart breaking moment lion kills buffalo mother and then…
-
This adorable juvenile bat SQUEAKS while being tickled
-
Police officer shoots dead woman charging him with cleaver
-
This adorable puppy pinwheel will hypnotise you
-
Megyn Kelly finally sits down with Donald Trump for…
-
Incredible moment a UFO can be seen leaving the Earth’s…
-
Scaredy cat has wide-eyed terror watching horror film
-
Adorable moment Devon Still dances with Leah at his wedding
-
Aggressive goose attacks and chases screaming girl
-
Shocking moment Buffalo herd charges tourist safari cars
-
The woman killed by doctors because she was obsessed with…
-
Underage sex scandal at Oakland Police Department as…
-
Breaking the ice! Obamas welcome five Nordic leaders to the…
-
EXCLUSIVE: The real reason Caitlyn Jenner IS considering…
-
NFL star Devon Still dances with six-year-old daughter Leah…
-
Missing condoms, bathroom blunders, and gifts of GOLD-PLATED…
-
Mother-of-two, 29, dies during liposuction and buttocks…
-
Desperate search for Texan wife, 33, who ‘fell overboard’ in…
-
Bill Clinton jumped aboard disgraced sex offender Jeffrey…
-
‘So this is what you left my house for this morning?’ The…
-
Pictured: Tennessee schoolgirl, nine, is reunited with her…
-
Former sorority girl, 21, is found guilty of aggravated…
Comments (8)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now