Stroke in young adults: On the rise?

摘要

Stroke has traditionally been considered a disease of the elderly, its incidence doubling with each decade after age 50. Given the aging of the population of the developed world, prevalent stroke is projected to increase by 24.9% over the next 20 years. In this light, decreasing overall stroke incidence rates in the 21st century are welcome news. The Framingham Heart Study reported a decline in age-adjusted stroke incidence per 1,000 person-years from 1950 to 2004 of 7.6 to 5.3 in men and 6.2 to 5.1 in women. As overall stroke incidence declines, there is evidence that stroke is occurring at a younger age, with the incidence increasing in younger adults. Ischemic stroke admissions in the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample increased annually from 1995 to 2008 among adults aged 14-44 years.