HOUSTON – Oct. 29 is National Stroke Awareness Day and while many may associate strokes with advanced age, the percentage of people under the age of 45 is on the rise.
KPRC 2 spoke to a neurologist about what’s going on with younger adults having strokes, and how a person’s lifestyle may be a contributing factor.
Model and media personality Hailey Bieber shared her own experience with a stroke at the age of 25, sparking a conversation about the occurrence of strokes in young adults.
“If there’s anybody who watches this and has gone through the same thing, I emphasize, I know how scary and life altering it is,” Bieber said on TikTok. “All of a sudden, I felt this weird sensation. I couldn’t speak and the right side of my face started drooping.”
Doctors said Bieber’s experience was the result of a “perfect storm” of things, including a long flight she had taken without getting up and moving around, and she had also just recovered from COVID, which some doctors believe produces blood clots. On top of that, Bieber had a pre-existing heart condition she wasn’t aware of.
Centers for Disease Control research dating back to 2017 revealed transient ischemic attacks, often referred to as “mini strokes,” like what Bieber experienced, are on the rise with the brief blockage of blood to the brain increasingly reported in people ages 18-54. Strokes in general, however, are still considered by many to be something reserved for advanced age.
“Even doctors think of stroke to be for older people. Unfortunately, the risk is rising with young people and I think there are a lot of reasons for that,” Kelsey Seybold neurologist Dr. Desiree Bobino Thomas said.
Thomas explained that lifestyle plays a big part and more Americans are living sedentary lifestyles, which can have a domino effect.
“Unfortunately, yes, lifestyle changes we’re seeing more obesity in younger people. Once they’re old enough not to go to a pediatcirican, they’re not getting yearly checkups, so they have no idea that their cholesterol is high or their blood pressure is high,” Thomas said.
In addition to hypertension and high LDL cholesterol, drug and alcohol use can also increase a person’s stroke risk, in addition to diabetes and smoking.
So how do you know you’re having a stroke? Remember the acronym BE FAST.
B - Balance issues
E- Eyes (difficulty seeing)
F- Facial drooping
A - Arms not working
S - Speech (difficulty speaking)
T - Time (you need to act fast to decrease the likelihood of lifelong damage)
Dr. Thomas said, the bottom line is, if you have symptoms, do not hesitate to get to the doctor to be immediately checked out. For anyone at any age, the best way to avoid a stroke is to live a clean life, exercise, move your body, eat well and get regular medical checkups. Every bit helps.