Stroke Risk is Rising in Young Adults as Experts Urge Vigilance During Stroke Awareness Month

CLEVELAND, OH — As Stroke Awareness Month unfolds in May, health officials are urging the public to recognize early warning signs and understand that strokes can impact individuals across all age groups. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, according to the American Heart Association, making swift recognition and treatment vital to improving outcomes.

“So, stroke is not just a disease that affects the elderly — stroke can affect the entire spectrum of age,” said Dr. Marc Alain Babi, a neurocritical care specialist at Cleveland Clinic. “Of course, the risk of stroke does increase as we get older in age. But stroke can affect all the way from neonate, from birth, younger adults, which we're seeing, unfortunately, an increase in both incidence and serious complication of stroke in young adults.”

Dr. Babi emphasized the importance of the acronym “BE FAST” to help identify the signs of stroke: Balance loss, Eyes with sudden vision changes, Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call 911. He stressed that quick response is essential, as every minute counts when someone is having a stroke.

In addition to recognizing symptoms, prevention remains a key focus. “The modifiable risk factor are those that we have control on, that we can modify, such as high blood pressure. Typically, most individual we can treat that with combination of different blood pressure medication,” Dr. Babi said. “Diabetes can be modified, so ensuring appropriate diabetic control. High level of cholesterol can be treated, specifically, with anti-cholesterol medication. Smoking cessation and no smoking.”

While lifestyle changes play a crucial role, genetic predispositions also contribute to stroke risk. Dr. Babi advises patients to review any family history of stroke with their physicians to better manage personal risk.

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