THOUGHT YOU WERE TOO YOUNG.......WELL THINK AGAIN!!!!!!

The increase in stroke rates in younger people may be due to a rise in obesity and diabetes.

For most young people, the chance of having a stroke seems like an impossibility — but there is no such thing as being too young for stroke. Your stroke risk increases with age, but stroke in young people, including infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, does happen. In general, however, most experts consider a young stroke age to be under 45.

Even though the overall rate of stroke is decreasing, it is increasing for young and middle-aged people. 

Several studies have shown that many of the risk factors that make someone susceptible to stroke, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity, are becoming more common in younger people. 

How Stroke in Younger People Is Different

There are several types of stroke, but all of them are caused by decreased blood supply to the brain. The most common type is an ischemic stroke, and they're either caused by a blood clot in the brain's blood vessels, or a blood clot that develops outside the brain and travels to those vessels.

"Cardiogenic causes account for more stroke in young adults. Another cause to watch out for in young people is drug use, especially intravenous drugs," says Dr. Azizi. Cardiogenic causes may include rheumatic heart disease, heart valve abnormalities, and being born with a hole between the right and left side of the heart, called a patent foramen ovale.

"Up to 25 percent of stroke under age 45 is caused by a dissecting blood vessel in the neck. This is a small tear in a big blood vessel that causes a clot to form and travel to the brain. Other stroke causes that have been linked to younger stroke age include migraine, pregnancy, birth control pills, and smoking," .

Stroke Prevention and Recovery in Younger People

"If you accept that stroke is increasing in people under age 45, one big reason is probably obesity,” says Dr. Russman. “Obesity in children and teens is up in America, and that increases the lifetime risk for stroke. Obesity increases the risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. These are all important stroke risk factors at any age."

It's never a bad time to employ these stroke prevention strategies:

• Work with your doctor to identify underlying diseases.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat a diet low in saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Start controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol at an early age.
• Recognize and control diabetes.
• Avoid alcohol, drugs, and smoking.

One of the big differences between stroke in older people and younger people is recovery. Stroke in young people can mean a lifetime of recovery and a loss of many productive years. "About 15 to 30 percent of people who have a stroke have some long-term disability.

• Survival is more than 90 percent at five years compared with 40 percent for old age stroke.
• Ninety percent are able to live independently compared with about 40 percent of old-age stroke.
• 50 to 70 percent are able to return to work after a stroke.
• Five-year stroke recurrence rates are half what they are for the elderly (15 percent vs. 30 percent).

"The key to managing stroke in young people is to identify and treat the underlying causes. Reducing risk factors, just as in older stroke, is the key to preventing a first stroke or a recurrent stroke.