The proportion of young people suffering from strokes is increasing; CDC Report Last year, the number of people aged 18-44 increased by 14.6%, and 15.7% from ages 45-64.
What’s even more troublesome is that in many cases these people lack traditional risk factors.
“Max half of all ischemic strokes in young adults are unknown causes and are more common in women,” he said. Dr. Jukka PatalaHead of the stroke unit at University Hospital Helsinki, Finland and lead author of the study.
a New research It aims to understand which risk factors have the greatest impact, and we found an incredible link to a rather common condition.
The team examined 12 traditional risk factors (e.g. diabetes, smoking, obesity) and 10 non-traditional factors for suffering from autoimmune diseases, IBS, chronic kidney disease, and migraines in the brain.
They found that patients increased their risk of stroke by a whopping 70%.
It’s even worse for people with a common heart defect called patent foremen overlook (PFO). This affects one in four people. For them, these non-traditional risk factors are more than twice the risk of stroke.
And of all these non-traditional risk factors, the researchers have found that migraines with an aura are the worst.
“We were aware of the important role of brain migraine in this patient population based on early knowledge, but we were surprised at how deeply it was, especially when its prevalence and strength of association became a traditional stroke risk factor,” Dr. Jukka Putaala said. Medscape Medical News.
Approximately 39 million Americans suffer from migraines 20% experience an auraA severe headache is accompanied by sensory problems such as flashing light and blind spots.
This means that around 8 million people in the United States could be at a higher risk of stroke due to this condition.
Migraines are generally more common in women, who account for more than three times more cases than men.
“The reason why migraines are at a higher risk of cryptogenic stroke in younger people is a complex question and guarantees further research,” Putaara added, noting that young women should be asked by doctors about the history of migraine.
“For effective prevention, careful and routine assessment of both traditional and non-traditional risk factors in young people is important,” he said.
Women-specific factors such as gestational diabetes and pregnancy complications also played a major role, increasing the risk of stroke by 70%, regardless of whether the risk was traditional or non-traditional.
However, before rushing to the doctor, please note that there are some limitations to this study, as you are seeing bright spots and zigzag lines with a headache.
First, it was observational. This means that the researchers were reviewing existing data, so they cannot prove the cause and effect.
The findings also rely on self-reported risk factors, which may not be reliable. Furthermore, the study samples are mostly white, limiting how the results can be applied to other demographics.
Strokes aren’t just for seniors
More than 795,000 Americans suffer from strokes each year. This is one every 40 seconds. Strokes claims the lives of around 140,000 people each year, making it the fifth major cause of death and a major factor in disability.
Strokes are still the most common among older people over the age of 65, but the number of strokes in younger adults is on the rise. Some Research shows In recent years, it has increased by up to 15%.
Doctors speculate that the surge may be associated with poor diet, lack of exercise, increased obesity rates, and increased chronic health status among young adults. However, this new study suggests that non-traditional risk factors also play a role.
“Recognizing the specific risks affecting women and non-commonly seen women could change our approach to screening for these risks and educate patients throughout their lifetimes,” he said. Dr. Tracy E. MadsenChairman of the American Heart Association of Clinical Cardiology/Stroke Women’s Health Sciences Committee, who was not involved in the study.
This can have a significant impact on improving stroke outcomes. Experts estimate that around 80% of strokes can be avoided through lifestyle changes and proper management of risk factors.
