May 2, 2024—Strokes can strike at any age—but they're becoming more common among younger adults. And a new study from the American Heart Association (AHA) found that stroke in younger adults is often linked to less common risk factors. Among them: migraines.
Risk factors for younger adults
At any age, knowing your risk for stroke can help you take steps to prevent one. Many of the major risk factors tend to increase with age, according to AHA. But for younger adults, it's also important to know the less common conditions that could raise your risk.
At any age, the common risk factors for stroke include:
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Smoking.
- Obesity.
- Physical inactivity.
- Alcohol misuse.
- A history of heart disease.
But in younger adults, the AHA study found that less typical risk factors often played a role. In fact, in adults under 35, more strokes were linked to:
- Migraines.
- Blood clotting disorders.
- Kidney failure.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Cancer.
Among adults under 35 who had a stroke, 42.7% of women and 31.4% of men had at least one of these conditions. Migraines were one of the most significant risk factors in younger adults. They accounted for nearly 35% of strokes in women and 20% in men.
Don't wait
Knowing your risk for stroke can help you take control of your health. It can also help if you recognize the signs of a stroke right away—so you can get care immediately.
Getting stroke care quickly can save lives and improve outcomes. If you think you or someone you know is having a stroke, call 911 right away.
Sources
- American Heart Association. "Association of Traditional and Nontraditional Risk Factors in the Development of Strokes Among Young Adults by Sex and Age Group: A Retrospective Case-Control Study." https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epub/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.123.010307.
- American Heart Association. "Deadly Type of Stroke Increasing Among Younger and Middle-aged Adults." https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/02/04/deadly-type-of-stroke-increasing-among-younger-and-middle-aged-adults.
- American Heart Association. "Strokes in Young Adults May be Caused More Often by Migraines, Other Nontraditional Factors." https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/03/26/strokes-in-young-adults-may-be-caused-more-often-by-migraines-other-nontraditional-factors.
- American Medical Association. "What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About the Deadly Risk of Stroke." https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/hypertension/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-deadly-risk-stroke.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Know Your Risk for Stroke." https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/risk_factors.htm.
- Radiological Society of North America. "Stroke in Young Adults." https://www.rsna.org/news/2023/october/stroke-in-young-adults .