Strokes on the Rise in Younger Adults

The recent stroke of U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk shows that these attacks can happen at any age. That’s the subject of an Associated Press (AP) article published January 30. Kirk’s stroke occurred after a tear in the carotid artery to his brain. Doctors still don’t know why that happened. Kirk, 52, an Illinois Republican, is fit and a devoted swimmer. But about 1 out of 4 U.S. strokes occurs in someone under age 65, AP said. The most common type of stroke is increasing among people under age 44. Hospital stays in this group for ischemic stroke have for risen by one-third in the last 10 years, AP said. An ischemic stroke is caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel. Strokes are more common in younger people with high blood pressure and diabetes. These diseases are increasing along with the growth in obesity in the United States.