Young Working Professional now have a Higher Risk of Stroke: Study

Researchers have discovered a substantial rise in the prevalence of stroke among young individuals, particularly among working professionals.

There was a noticeable increase in the percentage of young persons with strokes who were employed in higher-skilled employment, notably in professional or management positions.

This might imply a role for work-related stress, sedentary lifestyles, and lengthy workdays, all of which were more strongly linked to stroke risk than heart attack risk.

The results of a research that examined the rate of new stroke cases in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, during the previous 20 years and was published in the journal JAMA on “World Stroke Day 2022” represent mounting evidence that youthful stroke is an increasing concern in high-income nations.

“Establishing the significance of established risk factors in young stroke would aid in increasing public awareness of the need for improved management. Additionally, since existing risk models are based on factors that predict stroke in older individuals, improved methods of detecting young people at high risk of stroke are required “said Dr. Linxin Li, an Oxford University graduate and fellow of the Medical Research Foundation.

Stroke is a serious medical condition with grave repercussions. When the brain’s blood supply is interrupted, brain cells die and one or more areas of the brain become dysfunctional.

A blocked blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain, a blood vessel rupture that results in a brain haemorrhage, or a temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain can all cause the reduced blood supply.

The conventional wisdom is that vascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, have only a small impact on young stroke. However, current research is starting to challenge this assumption.

Dr. Li’s study focuses on several different forms of stroke, including bleeding in the brain and ischemic strokes, which are caused by artery blockages (intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage).

The incidence of stroke increased by 67% among younger persons (those under the age of 55) and decreased by 15% among older adults during the years of 2002 to 2010 and 2010 to 2018. (55 years or older).

Other vascular events, such heart attacks, were not shown to have a similar disparity in occurrence.

According to Dr. Angela Hind, CEO of the Medical Research Foundation, “Historically, we’ve thought of stroke as exclusively impacting older folks, but research like these reveal an increasing concern among young adults.”

“Stroke in young people can have a significant impact since it frequently happens just as they are establishing a family or are caring for small children and before they have reached the pinnacle of their professions. The repercussions on the economy, society, and individuals can be disastrous “said Hind.