More youths face stroke risk — Experts

November 3, 2013 by Motunrayo Joel 

A man checking his blood pressure
| credits: google.com

Medical experts examine the findings of a recent study indicating an increase in the number of young people who suffer a stroke, writes MOTUNRAYO JOEL

A recent study conducted by foreign neurologists has shown that more than 83,000 people aged 20 and below have stroke globally. The research indicated an increase in the number of young people suffering from the medical emergency.

Despite the belief  that stroke is normally associated with the elderly, a journal commentary highlighting the study described as a ‘worrying finding’ the global increase of about 25 per cent in stroke cases affecting people aged between 25 and 64.

The study’s Author and Director of the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, Prof. Valery Feigin, said there are over 80,000 children and youths affected by a stroke every year.

He said, “The epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in children and young people is increasing worldwide, which will be important risk factors for stroke 20 or 30 years down the road. Stroke burden worldwide continues to increase, it’s increasing at an increased pace, more than we expected, disproportionately affecting low-to middle-income countries. If the trends in ‘low-income and middle-income’ countries continue, by 2030, there will be almost 12 million stroke deaths and 70 million stroke survivors worldwide.’’

Feigin further said in view of the worldwide epidemic of diabetes and increasing prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors in young adults, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, the shift in stroke burden towards younger populations could continue globally unless effective preventive strategies are urgently implemented.

Speaking about stroke, a general practitioner, Dr. Kayode Atoyebi, identified two types which he called haemorrhagic and Ischaemic stroke. He noted that the former is more common among young people.

The medical practitioner added that haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds into the brain causing a haemorrhage.

According to him, the haemorrhage may be due to a vessel bursting within the brain itself, or a blood vessel on the surface of the brain bleeding into the area between the brain and the skull.

Atoyebi said, ‘‘Ischaemic stroke happens when something blocks an artery that carries blood to the brain. There are several possible causes, they include when a blood clot forms in a main artery to the brain. A blood clot, air bubble or fat globule forms in a blood vessel and is carried to the brain or when there is a blockage in the tiny bloody vessels deep inside the brain.’’

He also said stroke is not common in children, adding that the few cases of stroke reported in children might be triggered by a disease. “It has not been proven, but children of hypertensive parents are at a higher risk of developing hypertension which usually leads to stroke,” he added.

Also, a consultant neurosurgeon with an Abuja-based hospital, Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, said the number of cases of a stroke in young people is increasing in Nigeria.

He said young people who suffer a stroke are within 30 and 40 years old.

Ogungbo said, ‘‘This is compared to stroke being more common in people of 60 to 80 years of age in other countries. This indicates that stroke is affecting Nigerians in the ‘prime of their lives’ and the situation is pretty worrying. We at Stroke Action, Nigeria, believe that this is due to the changing lifestyles in the country, the short life expectancy and increase in the incidence of hypertension, among other things.’’

Commenting on the findings of the study, Ogungbo, who said that there is no increase in the cases of a stroke in children or youths, added “not unless they are in the age group mentioned above.”

He also stated that stroke could occur in anybody even ‘young children’, but the type of stroke children have is often due to some congenital problem (something the children were born with).  ‘‘These are conditions like sickle cell disease and congenital intracranial aneurysms. Stroke in teenagers and young adults are often due to drug use. Drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines, and social ills like glue sniffing can also predispose them to stroke,” he said.

On his part, a consultant neurologist, Dr. Seyi Roberts, confirmed that more young people are having a stroke. He linked the development to hypertension.

Roberts said more young people are becoming hypertensive. “Almost 70 per cent of the cases of hypertension are unrecognised and untreated. That is why we usually encourage people to constantly check their blood pressure, including young people. They are encouraged to constantly check their blood pressure. Hypertension is one single factor that can lead to stroke, that is why it is called a silent killer.”

He added that even when young people think they are agile and healthy, they should not be too confident that their bodies are totally healthy.

According to him, the fact that an individual is young and healthy doesn’t mean all is well.

The medical doctor stated that some people even brag about not visiting a hospital since they were born. He said, ‘‘I also hear them say ‘I’ve never been sick’, but it’s even those who have never been sick that are at risk. This is because they may have hidden life-threatening issues they are not aware about.”

He also said for every 10 persons that suffer a stroke, 30 per cent of them die.

“This means one out of every three persons with stroke die, and 50 per cent out of the remaining 70 per cent of who suffer a stroke will develop permanent paralysis. This is to say, two-third of all stroke cases will have a price to pay, ’’Roberts added.

He warned young people, particularly those with history of hypertension and diabetes, to frequently check their blood pressure.

Some neurologists have however noted that more than 90 per cent of stroke cases are preventable through healthy lifestyle such as quitting smoking.