US News: CDC Study Shows Stroke Increase Among Younger Adults

The prevalence of stroke among Americans younger than 65 has been increasing in recent years, and researchers have looked at factors like obesity and opioid use as potential causes. In a new analysis released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the data shows that stroke is the 5th-leading cause of death in the United States. In addition, it was reported that stroke prevalence increased by around 15% for those between the ages of 18 and 44 years old and increased by around 16% for those between the ages of 45 to 64 years old.

In addition to obesity and opioid use as potential factors for increasing stroke prevalence, researchers have also pointed to hypertension, or high blood pressure, as another potential factor. Adding on to the overall statistics, the analysis from the CDC also displayed demographic information about increasing stroke prevalence. There was a 9.3% increase for women and a 6.2% increase for men. Around 10 states saw a significant increase in stroke prevalence, with Ohio and Texas experiencing the highest with 20.9% and 20.7% increases respectively.  

To read the full article by Steven Ross Johnson, click here.