Strokes rate sharply increased in younger people (35 -54 years)
A recently published study revealed the alarming fact that stroke is becoming more common in younger people. Stroke is one of the most common causes of death in our days. Usually it affects people 55 years and older but new studies show that strokes rate sharply increased in those under 55.
Researchers at Rutgers University included 227,000 individuals in the study and showed that over the years (from 1995 to 2014) the stroke rate increased in younger people:
• 35 to 39 years: increased by 147%
• 40 to 44 years: increased by 101%
• 45 to 49 years: increased by 68%
• 50 to 54 years: increased by 23%
The reason is still unknown but most likely life style risks (obesity, lack of physical activity, diabetes) will be the main factors contributing.
Lead author, Joel N. Swerdel says: “For a person 30 to 50, the good news is you ain’t dead yet. With behavioral changes, changing diet, increasing exercise, there’s still hope for you. Behavioral change is hard, but this study is an early warning sign.”
The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association
About
Prof. Dr. Erich Ringelstein
Prof. Erich Ringelstein is a Neurologist and Psychiatrist, he was the Head of Neurology Department at the University Hospital of Münster in Germany, managing eighty beds, a neurological intensive care unit and a stroke unit as well. Prof. Ringelstein also managed subdivisions that covered neuromuscular disorders, sleep disorders epileptic seizures, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, as well as, dementia and cognitive impairment. Prof. Ringelstein was very active in academic teaching and was awarded for these efforts several times. He is trained in epileptology, neuroradiology, neuro geriatrics, evoked potentials, neurovascular and neuromuscular ultrasound. In 1992, Prof. Ringelstein received the Hugo Spatz Prize from the German Neurological Society for his research on cerebrovascular disease. Prof. Ringelstein is an active member of the editorial boards of scientific journals like Stroke, European Neurology, Cerebrovascular Diseases, Journal of Neuroimaging. He serves as a Reviewer for well-known journals like Stroke, Brain, Neurology, Annals of Neurology and others. Prof. Ringelstein was trained in Mainz University, Aachen Medical Faculty and Bonn University Hospital. In 1987, he worked as a Research Fellow at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, CA, USA. In 2006, Prof. Ringelstein received an Honorary Doctor title from the University of Debrecen, Hungary, for his intensive and fruitful scientific collaboration with this university hospital. He was elected Corresponding Member of the Austrian Stroke Society.