Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke — and that someone might be younger than you think.
While stroke is often thought of something that hits later in life, the reality is, anyone can have a stroke. And research shows that stroke rates are declining in adults 75 and older while rising in young and middle-aged adults.
“This is obviously a cause for concern,” says Ahmed Itrat, M.D., stroke medical director for Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Stroke — a disruption of blood flow to the brain, either because the flow is blocked or a blood vessel bursts — is the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it’s a leading cause of disability.
A study published in the journal Stroke highlights an especially worrying trend. Researchers found an 11 percent overall rise in intracerebral hemorrhage strokes over a 15-year period, and increases were highest in younger and middle-aged adults. This type of stroke, which is more deadly and disabling than other types, occurs when blood vessels in the brain rupture and bleed. Experts called the study’s findings “very alarming” and say it stresses the need for earlier intervention.
To learn what’s behind the uptick in stroke in the younger set, from AARP, CLICK HERE.
