Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Author Spotlight: Assessing Ischemic Stroke Damage Through Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model
Published on: August 11, 2023
[Stroke in young adults]
Teresa Cardoso1, Teresa Fonseca, Manuela Costa
1Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos, Porto.
Insights
Stroke affects young adults, accounting for 6% of cases. Atherosclerosis is a significant cause, highlighting the need for primary prevention in this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Stroke in young adults (18-45 years) presents diagnostic challenges.
- This demographic accounts for 6% of all stroke admissions.
- Understanding incidence and causes is crucial for effective management.
Purpose:
- To determine the incidence and causes of stroke in young adults.
- To analyze the clinical profile, risk factors, and outcomes of stroke in this population.
- To identify key etiological categories for stroke in young individuals.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 45 young adults (mean age 37) with stroke (77.8% ischemic, 22.2% hemorrhagic).
- Atherosclerotic vascular disease risk factors were present in 94% of ischemic stroke cases.
- Hypertension and altered vascular anatomy were primary causes of hemorrhagic stroke; mortality was 11.4% for ischemic and 30% for hemorrhagic stroke within the first week.
Impact:
- Identifies atherosclerosis as a major contributor to stroke in young adults.
- Emphasizes the critical role of primary prevention strategies for this age group.
- Provides data on stroke classification, risk factors, and early outcomes in young patients.
Introduction:
Stroke in young adults is not as uncommon as one might expect and often present a diagnostic challenge. Our purpose was to determinate the incidence and causes of stroke in young adults admitted to our hospital.
Methods:
retrospective study of all patients aged 18-45 years (36,9±7,4 years), admitted to our hospital from January 1998 to December 1999, with the diagnosis of stroke. A data sheet considering clinical profile, past medical history, investigation, stroke classification and cause and early clinical outcome, was filled according to clinical register.
Results:
During the study period 751 patients were admitted with stroke, 581 (77,3%) with ischemic stroke and 170 (22,7%) with haemorrhage. Forty-five were young adults (6%). Thirty-five had ischemic stroke (77,8%), with a mean age of 37 years; the stroke was in the anterior circulation in 44%. In 94% of the patients risk factors for atherosclerotic vascular disease were identified. Ischemic stroke was classified, according to NINDS, in: atherosclerotic occlusive disease (28,6%), lacuna (14,3%), fibrodysplasia/arterial dissection (11,4%) cardioembolism (11,4%), undetermined (25,7%) and unknown (8,6%), because of early death or abandon. Ten patients were admitted with haemorrhage, with a mean age of 32 years, hypertension was the cause in 50%, altered vascular anatomy (arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm, angioma) in 40% and 10% were of unknown aetiology (early death). Mortality rate in the first week was 11,4% in ischemic stroke and 30% in haemorrhage. From the 45 patients admitted to this study, 85,7% were discharged with autonomy, 28% needed to continue physical rehabilitation.
Conclusions:
Stroke is an important pathology in the young adults accounting for 6% of all patients admitted with this diagnosis. In our population, atherosclerosis was responsable for an important percentage of cases, probably in association with the high incidence of risk factors for atherosclerotic vascular disease founded. We would like to stress once more the high importance of primary prevention, specially in this young group of patients.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Peripheral Artery Disease I: Introduction
01:21Aneurysm II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
01:23Atherosclerosis IV: Nursing Management
01:27Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
01:17Ischemic Heart Disease: Overview
Atherosclerosis, the primary malefactor, orchestrates this dangerous condition. It manifests as the accumulation of fatty deposits, akin to insidious plaques, within arterial walls. As time elapses, these plaques metamorphose, hardening and...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...