Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, every year millions of people die due to it. Although heart attack is not the only concern of health experts, cases of death due to stroke are increasing rapidly globally in the last few years. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that cases of stroke are also increasing along with heart attack in the young population. Cases of stroke have increased by 15 percent in people aged 18 to 44.
According to the CDC report, the risk of stroke in people under the age of 65 has increased in the last decade. If we look at the recent data, it is known that people between 18 and 44 are also falling prey to it. Stroke is not only fatal but in case of survival from stroke, there is also a risk of many other serious problems including paralysis, and brain-nerve related disorders.
Risk of stroke in youth
Stroke was known as a problem with aging till a few decades ago, although now even younger people are falling prey to it. Experts said that, along with increasing cases of stroke, both obesity and high blood pressure have increased in this age group. Both these conditions increase the risk of stroke even more.
Gregory W. Albers, department director at Stanford Medical Center, explains that risk factors have been seen increasing in the young population in recent years, which are directly considered to increase the risk of stroke. Comparing self-reported health data from 2011-2013 and 2020-2022, researchers found that stroke cases have increased by about 8%. There is a need to be alert about its risk factors.
Increased risk in people aged 18-44 years
The CDC report said that stroke cases in people aged 18-44 years have increased by 14.6% while in adults in the 45-64 category this rate has increased to 15.7%. Comparatively, it is found that between 2000 and 2018, the number of people with high blood pressure in adults aged 45-64 years increased by more than 6%, which is a major risk factor for stroke.
Matthew S. Schrag, Assistant Professor of Neurology Department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says, high blood pressure is considered to be a major factor for the increasing cases of stroke. The problem of high blood pressure has increased in the youth. Disturbances in lifestyle and diet are being seen. We need to make efforts to improve stroke risk factors on a wide scale.
How to reduce the risk of stroke?
In a study on how to reduce the risk of stroke, scientists said that controlling high blood pressure, stress and diabetes is important for the prevention of stroke. Along with this, it is also necessary that you improve your diet. In a study published in the Science Daily Journal, scientists said that increasing the amount of fiber in the diet can help. By increasing the daily fiber intake by seven grams, the risk of stroke can be reduced by up to seven percent.
Pay special attention to cholesterol and blood pressure
Both heart disease and stroke can be prevented by following a good routine and healthy diet. To prevent both of these, you must keep checking the cholesterol-blood pressure level regularly and keep taking measures to keep it under control. People whose blood pressure is often uncontrolled have a higher risk of both these types of life-threatening health problems.
(PC: ISTOCK)
