LONDON More than 30 percent of strokes occur in adults between the ages 20 and 64 years old. It's a "startling" 25 percent rise over rates reported 20 years ago, according to the authors of a new study.
The authors of this first global analysis of the problem say strokes are increasingly striking younger adults, and the incidence of the disabling condition worldwide could more than double by 2030.
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More than 85 percent of strokes are caused by a clot blocking an artery that supplies blood to the brain, known as ischemic stroke. Other types of stroke include hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a blood vessel bursting in the brain, or transient ischemic attacks or "mini strokes," which cause the symptoms of a stroke but don't leave lasting damage.
When having a stroke, patients often experience symptoms including a droopy face, the inability to lift their arms and garbled speech. If not treated quickly, patients can be left with long-term side effects, including speech and memory problems, paralysis and the loss of some vision.
While a stroke occurs in all age groups, previous research shows the risk doubles for each decade between the ages of 55 and 85 years, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
"The worldwide stroke burden is growing very fast and there is now an urgent need for culturally acceptable and affordable stroke prevention, management and rehabilitation strategies to be developed and implemented worldwide," study leader Professor Valery Feigin, director of the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at AUT University in New Zealand, said in a statement.
Though the chances of a stroke jumps dramatically with age, the growing number of younger people with worrying risk factors such as bulging waistlines typical of the ongoing obesity epidemic, diabetes and high blood pressure means they are becoming increasingly susceptible.
Worldwide, stroke is the second-leading cause of death after heart disease and is also a big contributor to disability.
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Non-senior stroke rate climbs 25 percent over past two decades