More people are having strokes at an earlier age and the reason may be because of an increased number of risk factors. Strokes were once the worry of older people, however, they are now a more serious concern for the middle aged. According to the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky Stroke Study, the numbers have nearly doubled for certain groups of people in their younger ages.

Brett Kissela, MD, the author of the study which is being published online in the journal, Neurology, said that these people may be younger but are at a much higher risk for stroke because they are seeing more substantial numbers of the known risk factors. The study, which looked at a wide range of patients, health and risk factors, was conducted in two different time frames, 1993-1994 and again in 2005. The survey based information looked at patient centric information including their age, gender, race, and medical history, including any previous medications taken on a regular basis before the stroke. Other information, including the type of stroke, the symptoms that were reported and the treatment outcomes were also looked at. More than one million people were surveyed for the study.

Risk factors like obesity, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure have all increased in this age group which has pushed stroke risk even higher. Ironically, the numbers for a first stroke have declined in older patients. For white patients, the risk of stroke went down at age fifty five while it went down at age sixty five for all other races. Both white and black patients saw a higher risk of first stroke for the younger age groups with both groups more than doubling their numbers.

There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Losing weight, lowering the blood pressure and not smoking are all high on that list with controlling diabetes coming in as very important as well. Diabetes can impact the health of the blood vessels, including those in the neck and the brain which may increase the risk of stroke. Diet and exercise are also recommended, especially for those who are at the highest risk for stroke. Family history contributes to these risk factors which should be evaluated by a doctor.

New treatments for strokes, especially when administered immediately after the onset of symptoms can reduce the long term disability that is incurred including the loss of mobility and loss of speech.