More Young People Suffering from Stroke
A recent national study revealed that while the number of older Americans who suffer strokes has declined, more people who are aged 5 to 44 suffered acute ischemic stroke as of 2007.
A feature on the Voice of America shared the results of the study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which compared the number of stroke hospitalizations in 1994 and 1995, against hospitalizations in 2006 and 2007. It was determined that the number of younger people who suffered a stroke increased by 50 percent.
An ischemic stroke is caused by the blockage of blood flow to the brain, due to a blood clot or fatty deposit. The blockage leads to a lack of oxygen, which, in turn, destroys brain tissue, which can cause paralysis or death.
In addition, researchers observed a 31 percent increase in stroke admissions among boys aged 5 to 14 years old, while a 36 percent increase was observed in hospitalizations among girls in the same age group.
This increase in stroke-related hospitalizations is being linked by public health experts to an increased incidence of obesity in children and young adults. This is not the be-all and and-all of the matter, however; the CDC’s Mary George said that the increase in ischemic strokes among younger Americans merits further investigation.
She said: “Whether this is perhaps related to changes in patient factors, in risk factors, or whether it’s related to changes in hospital admitting practices over time… Whether it’s related to improved diagnostic ability over time and heightened awareness. There’s a variety of reasons that might lead to this.”
Tags: childhood obesity, kids stroke, obesity, stroke, teens stroke, young adults stroke
