Stroke incidence rates nearly doubled in young adults, but case fatality rates declined, a recent study found.
The study, published Sept. 23 in Neurology, analyzed hospitalized stroke cases in a five-county region from July 1993 to June 1994, and calendar years, 1999, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Young adults were defined as those ages 20 to 54. Across all study periods, there were 2,076 first-ever strokes in young adults.
Here are four findings.
1. Incidence rates among young adults increased from 33.9 cases per 100,000 people in 1994 to 62.18 cases per 100,000 people in 2020.
2. The rise in incidences appears to be driven by ischemic stroke, which had doubled the incidence rate from 23.8 cases per 100,000 in 1994 to 47.4 in 2020.
3. Young adults saw a modest decline in 30-day case fatality rates from 11.7% in 1994 to 9.4% in 2020, driven by intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
“The incidence of stroke in young adults is rising over time, while the CFR simultaneously declines,” the study authors wrote. “This coincides with a rise in both traditional vascular risk factors and substance use.”
4. Stroke incidence rates among older adults fell from 618.78 cases per 100,000 in 1994 to 453.04 in 2020.
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