Strokes among young adults on dramatic rise
While recent years have seen an overall decline in the number of strokes in the United States, research published in the American Academy of Neurology Journal suggests the number of strokes among younger adults is actually on the rise, with about one in five victims now younger than 55.
Since the mid-1990s, the number of strokes in younger adults has increased by approximately 53 percent. This trend is alarming in the impact it has on young families, when a parent who suffers a stroke is often physically and economically disabled before or during their most productive years.
Experts attribute several factors to the increased incidence of stroke in young adults, with the greatest focus around the issue of obesity. A study of more than 2,300 people in the Baltimore area indicated obese young adults were 57 percent more likely to experience a stroke than their non-obese peers. Much of that increased risk might be connected to the co-conditions often tied to obesity, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking.
Even though more than a half million young adults suffer annually from a stroke, 73 percent of those interviewed indicated they would not seek treatment at a hospital when faced with the classic symptoms. Nearly three in four stated they would opt to “wait and see” if their weakness, numbness or impaired vision symptoms went away on their own. This is a lack of awareness that can lead to devastating results.
May is American Stroke Month – and creating stroke awareness for all ages can help save stroke victims from possible disabilities or even save their lives.
Medical experts agree medical treatment must be delivered for a stroke within three hours of the first symptom. This is the window during which treatment can minimize or even reverse brain damage. A lack of awareness results in patients that don’t seek immediate treatment. But to date, only limited public health and research efforts have been dedicated to addressing stroke in young adults.
The authors of one study suggest people should memorize the acronym “FAST,” which stands for: Face drooping; Arm weakness; Speech difficulty; Time to call 911.
Many strokes, though not all, are preventable through simple but critical lifestyle changes. Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight, ensuring a daily dose of physical activity, controlling blood pressure, controlling blood sugar if you are diabetic and refraining from smoking are considered the most effective means of avoiding the devastation of a stroke.
If you suspect someone is having a stroke, don’t waste a precious second – call 911 immediately. The emergency room at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital (SSRH) is here for you and your family 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through the AR SAVES program, SSRH uses a high-speed video communications system to help provide immediate, life-saving treatments to stroke patients 24 hours a day. The real-time video communication enables a stroke neurologist to evaluate whether emergency room physicians should use a powerful blood-clot dissolving agent within the critical three-hour period following the first signs of stroke. For more information about stroke symptoms and risk, visit NorthwestHealth.com.