Stroke is one of those disorders that are turning up in younger people more frequently. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of long-term disability. This has become a lifestyle disease, even in younger individuals. Like type 2 diabetes, years of poor diet, sedentary lifestyles debilitate the bodies ability to live healthy. These damaging effects are amplified and have begun to start earlier in life. Today’s youth were raised in an era of chemically fortified and sodium loaded processed and fast foods, and as a result they will face an even greater risk of chronic diseases as they age even more so than their parents are facing today.
Nutrient-poor diets and sedentary behavior have fueled rising obesity rates and increased prevalence of risk factors for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and more. Twenty-three percent of younger people had high or borderline high LDL cholesterol, and 14 percent had hypertension or prehypertension. Among 24-32 year-olds, it has been reported that 19 percent have hypertension already. Hypertension is the primary risk factor for stroke, with elevated blood pressure responsible for 62 percent of strokes. Stress factors don’t help either.
The most common type of stroke is an ischemic strokes. Fifteen percent of ischemic stroke occur in young adults and adolescents. That adds up to 119,000 strokes per year in people under the age of 45.
This information was first brought to the attention of the news when the 27 year old actor (Frankie Muniz (of “Malcolm in the Middle”) had suffered his second ‘mini-stroke,’ about one year after his first.
A transient ischemic attack (TIA), known as a mini-stroke, occurs when a blood clot temporarily blocks an artery leading to the brain. A TIA lasts only a few minutes and produces temporary stroke-like symptoms that may last several hours, such as numbness or weakness of the face or an arm or leg, confusion, or trouble speaking. Though blood flow resumes relatively quickly, before there is any lasting damage to the brain, a TIA is an indicator of poor cardiovascular health and a predictor of future stroke. TIAs are also known as “warning strokes,” since about one-third of people who experience a TIA will have a stroke within one year. When this type of stroke occurs in a young person, this is a sign significant arterial damage has already occurred, which will only escalate over time without dietary changes.
Controlling lifestyle choices are critical to prevention.
