Diabetes, Obesity, High Blood Pressure Among Triggers, Expert Says

By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Oct. 10, 2012 -- People are having strokes at younger ages, according to new research.

"This is still a disease of the old, but a surprisingly higher proportion of younger patients are having strokes, and it's getting worse over time," says researcher Brett Kissela, MD, professor and vice chair of neurology at the University of Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, strokes are decreasing among older people, he found.

In his study, strokes among adults under age 55 grew from about 13% in 1993 to 19% in 2005.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is published in Neurology.

"Our data cannot tell us why exactly this is happening," he says. "Perhaps the largest factor has to do with the early appearance of risk factors."

He's referring to the rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity among younger people, all risk factors for strokes.

Read more:
Strokes Striking Younger People