Abstract
Introduction. Stroke in people under 45 years of age is less frequent than in older populations but has a major impact on the individual and society. In this article we provide an overview of the epidemiology and etiology of young stroke. Methods. This paper is based on a review of population-based studies on stroke incidence that have included subgroup analyses for patients under 45 years of age, as well as smaller community-based studies and case-series specifically examining the incidence of stroke in the young. Trends are discussed along with the relative frequencies of various etiologies. Discussion. Stroke in the young requires a different approach to investigation and management than stroke in the elderly given differences in the relative frequencies of possible underlying causes. It remains the case, however, that atherosclerosis contributes to a large proportion of stroke in young patients, thus, conventional risk factors must be targeted aggressively.
Highlights
Stroke in people under 45 years of age is less frequent than in older populations but has a major impact on the individual and society
The most common of these in young stroke patients is cervical artery dissection (CAD), which has been implicated in up to 20–25% of cases of young stroke [21, 23, 42], followed by vasculitis related to infection, Moyamoya in Asian populations (6–15% of cases of nonatherosclerotic vasculopathy [40, 45]), and migraine
Stroke in the young requires a different approach to investigation and management than stroke in the elderly given differences in the relative frequencies of possible underlying causes
Summary
Stroke incidence rises steeply with age; stroke in younger people is less common; stroke in a young person can be devastating in terms of productive years lost and impact on a young person’s life. This paper is based on a review of population-based studies on stroke incidence that have included subgroup analyses for patients under 45 years of age, as well as smaller community-based studies and case-series examining the incidence and etiology of stroke in the young. We examined prevalence in large population registries that provided subgroup analyses for patients younger than 45 years of age. These were identified using the search terms “epidemiology and stroke” and “population-based studies and stroke.”. References were examined to identify other stroke registries, which were examined with regard to prevalence among young patients under age 45 These were identified using the search terms “epidemiology and stroke” and “population-based studies and stroke.” Again, references were examined to identify other stroke registries, which were examined with regard to prevalence among young patients under age 45
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
