Experts say young and fit not safe from stroke

BEING young, fit or a professional sports person does not protect you from suffering a stroke, a leading neurologist has said.

Townsville Hospital department of clinical neurology director Richard White said a quarter of strokes in Australia were suffered by those under 60.

In what will likely result in the premature end of Matt Scott’s long rugby league career, the North Queensland Cowboys yesterday confirmed the 34-year-old suffered a mild stroke at the weekend and was rushed to a Brisbane hospital.

It’s understood no NRL player has suffered a stroke in recent memory, but a 19-yearold was hospitalised after an incident playing for Cronulla in the under-20s a decade ago.

A stroke happens suddenly when blood flow to the brain is disrupted. Dr White said there was no guaranteed protection against a stroke just because people were young and fit.

“I don’t think being a rugby league player protects you from having a stroke, or being physically fit, because it doesn’t protect you from the rare causes of stroke,” he said.

“Being fit protects you from degenerative diseases, but there are plenty of, unfortunately, young fit people, some of whom are sportsmen, who have strokes.”

Stroke Foundation Clinical Council chair Professor Bruce Campbell said there would be more than 56,000 strokes in Australia this year alone and the number of strokes in younger adults was on the rise.

“There is a common misconception stroke only impacts people later in life, but stroke does not discriminate. It can happen to anyone at any age,” he said.