Stroke: 7 risk factors in young people
Created: 09/30/2022, 17:00
By: Judith Brown
A stroke doesn't just affect older people.
Younger people can also suffer a heart attack because of their lifestyle.
Young people are more and more likely to suffer a stroke.
One blood group is particularly at risk.
However, the lifestyle of younger generations apparently also contributes to the fact that the risk of a so-called cerebral infarction has increased.
Even if it sometimes affects healthy and athletic young people, several risk factors have been identified that favor strokes in young people.
Stroke in young people: what happens in the body and possible symptoms
A stroke, also known as a cerebral infarction, is more and more common among young people.
© Andriy Popov/IMAGO
A stroke occurs when there is a sudden loss of blood flow to the brain.
As a result, the nerve cells in the brain receive little nutrients and oxygen.
This is followed by a sudden failure of certain brain regions.
Experts speak of a juvenile stroke when the person affected is under 55 years old.
Depending on which part of the brain is affected and how serious the failures are, a cerebral infarction is manifested by different symptoms:
Sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the body (arm, leg, or face)
Speech difficulties associated with paralysis (usually on the right side of the body);
problems understanding spoken language
Dizziness with unsteady gait
Loss of balance and coordination
Visual disturbances (e.g. double vision or blurred vision are typical)
nausea and vomiting
confusion
Specific symptoms in women: shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, body aches, confusion
Don't miss anything: You can find everything to do with health in the regular newsletter from our partner 24vita.de.
Stroke: causes in younger patients
A study published in the specialist journal
Deutsches Ärzteblatt
shows that the causes of a stroke in young people differ significantly from those in older people.
The team of German researchers led by Prof. Lars Kellert from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich examined data from stroke patients between 18 and 55 years of age in a review.
They found that spontaneous dissection is one of the most common causes (ten to 25 percent) of juvenile stroke.
This leads to a splitting of the inner wall of the carotid artery, which supplies the brain.
A kind of dead end is formed between the inner and middle layers of the vessel wall.
The blood then accumulates and a hematoma develops, which eventually clogs the vessels.
also read
Vegetarians are more likely to be depressed than meat eaters: What are the underlying causes?
Fighting Water Retention: Which Foods Help
A blood clot also led to a stroke in about 25 percent.
The scientists were able to identify “rare causes” in another ten percent, such as migraines, pregnancy or drugs.
In 30 to 50 percent of those affected, however, the research team could not identify a specific cause.
According to Keller, however, this is not a cause for concern: "If you cannot find a clear cause, the risk of recurrence is much lower," the doctor told
Thala
, the health magazine of the German stroke aid
.
Juvenile stroke: 7 risk factors in young people
Although spontaneous dissection—for example, when a fast, violent movement during exercise causes a rupture of the artery—can affect fit and apparently healthy young people, there are several risk factors for stroke that are linked to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Younger people should therefore avoid the following seven risk factors:
Smoking (in women, the risk is increased in combination with taking birth control pills)
obesity and lack of exercise
dyslipidemia
Diabetes/diabetes mellitus
High blood pressure
Cardiac arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation)
Hormonal contraceptives in women (especially after long-term use)
If younger patients are affected by a stroke, their young age is often a great advantage.
In contrast to older people, younger people often recover more quickly and comprehensively from the disease.
The symptoms are said to even go away completely in 30 percent of young stroke patients.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.
