New research indicates that strokes are affecting younger people when compared with rates 20 years ago, according to a story on WEKU Public Radio out of Kentucky.
The study was published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and examined occurrences of strokes in people between the ages 20 and 54 in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. The analysis included only first-ever strokes.
Researchers concluded that the average age of people who experienced stroke fell from 71 years in 1993 and 1994 to 69 years in 2005. Researchers also found that strokes among people under 55 constituted a greater percentage of all strokes over time, increasing from about 13 percent in 1993-94 to 19 percent in 2005.
The study author is quoted as saying that stroke risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise.
Previous research has identified family history of strokes and smoking as risk factors for stroke. Use of birth control pills also generates a higher risk for the blood clots that commonly trigger a stroke.
While all birth control pills can increase the risk of clots, a number of studies indicate that pills with the artificial hormone drospirenone can increase that risk up to three times compared to other oral contraceptives on the market.
Birth control pills with drospirenone include Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Ocella.
The study author, Brett Kissela, MD, MS, with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, is quoted as saying: “The reasons for this trend could be a rise in risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. Other factors, such as improved diagnosis through the increased use of MRI imaging may also be contributing. Regardless, the rising trend found in our study is of great concern for public health because strokes in younger people translate to greater lifetime disability.”
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries while on Beyaz or similar birth control pills.
See the story here:
https://www.weku.fm/post/study-reveals-stroke-victims-getting-younger
