Stroke in the young?

When most think of stroke, they think of it as something that happens to the elderly. While more common with age, it might be surprising to know that strokes affect younger people too.

"A stroke, or a "brain attack", can happen to anyone. It is important to be aware that all people can have a stroke regardless of age, gender, and ethnicity," says Dr. Richard Swartz, stroke neurologist at Sunnybrook.

‘Stroke in the young' (age 45 or younger), accounts for up to 15 per cent of all strokes. Even children can be susceptible. "This underlines the importance of knowing how to recognize stroke symptoms, as well as the risk factors for stroke, and take action to improve outcomes," adds Swartz, also a professor of Neurology at University of Toronto.

The causes of stroke in young people however are very diverse; more so than in older people.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity are risk factors for all ages. They are an increasing cause of stroke in young people as childhood obesity becomes a greater problem in our society; however, most strokes in young people are due to other rare causes.

Pregnancy and the post-partum period have an increased risk of stroke, as does migraine, certain medications and street drug use. Genetic disorders, heart problems, blood vessel diseases and many other illnesses can cause stroke in young people; yet, even with extensive testing, a cause cannot be found in up to one-third of young people with stroke.

"Clearly there is a need for more research in this important area," says Swartz. "At Sunnybrook, with our focus on both Stroke and Women & Babies, we remind you that strokes can happen to anyone. Know the signs and symptoms of a stroke, and call 911 if you, or someone you love, is affected. For adults, do your best to make sure it doesn't happen to you: know your blood pressure numbers and give up smoking."