'Shocking' rise in number of young stroke victims
The increase is linked to unhealthy lifestyles and is 'a sad indictment of the nation's health', says charity
The number of working age people suffering from strokes has soared in recent years, a leading charity has warned.
The number of men aged 40-54 hospitalised for a stroke increased by almost 50 per cent between 2000 and 2014, while the rate among women in that age group rose by 30 per cent.
The majority of strokes occur in people aged over 65, but the latest figures revel that younger generations are increasingly at risk due to a variety of unhealthy lifestyle choices. Smoking, being overweight, a lack of exercise and poor diet can all lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The life-threatening condition occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, either by a blood clot or when a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts. It can lead to brain damage, permanent disability and death.
"These figures show strokes can no longer be seen as a disease of older people," said John Barrick from the Stroke Association. "This comes at a huge cost, not only to the individual, but also to their families and to health and social care services," he told the BBC.
Soaring obesity levels are putting thousands at risk of stroke, and the "shocking" stroke rates are "a sad indictment of the current state of the UK's health," Barrick told The Guardian. "There are now real concerns that excess weight could replace smoking as the major killer of adults in the near future.”
The charity urged people to be aware of the risk factors and regularly check their blood pressure. Simple lifestyle changes including eating healthily, exercising regularly and avoiding alcohol and tobacco can dramatically reduce the risk of illness.
It encouraged businesses to do more to help sufferers return to work. "Having a stroke is bad enough, but being written off by your employer through a lack of understanding can be catastrophic," said Barrick.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A Man on the Inside: Netflix comedy leaves you with a 'warm fuzzy feeling'
The Week Recommends Charming series has a 'tenderness' that will 'sneak up' on you
By The Week UK Published
-
Bread & Roses: an 'extraordinarily courageous' documentary
The Week Recommends Sahra Mani's 'powerful' film examines the lives of three Afghan women under the Taliban
By The Week UK Published
-
V13: a 'marvelous and terrifying' account of the Bataclan terror trials
The Week Recommends Emmanuel Carrère's work is 'absolutely gripping'
By The Week UK Published
-
Neanderthal gene ‘caused up to a million Covid deaths’
Speed Read Genetic tweak found in one in six Britons means cells in the lungs are slower to launch defences
By The Week Staff Published
-
Legalising assisted dying: a complex, fraught and ‘necessary’ debate
Speed Read The Assisted Dying Bill – which would allow doctors to assist in the deaths of terminally ill patients – has relevance for ‘millions’
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Vaccinating children: it’s decision time for the health secretary as kids return to school
Speed Read Sajid Javid readying NHS England to roll out jab for children over 12, amid fears infections will rocket
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
‘Vaccination blunts, but does not defeat’: exploring Israel’s fourth Covid wave
Speed Read Two months ago, face masks were consigned to bins. Now the country is in a ‘unique moment of epidemiological doubt’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Thousands told to self-isolate in Covid app pinging error, claims Whitehall whistleblower
Speed Read Source says Matt Hancock was privately told of the issue shortly before he resigned as health secretary
By The Week Staff Published
-
Record 5.45m people on NHS England waiting lists
Speed Read Health chief warns that crisis is nearing ‘boiling point’ as backlog grows
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Covid testing: the ‘great new game of holiday roulette’
Speed Read On one day last week, the price of a private PCR test ranged from £23.99 to £575
By The Week Staff Published
-
San Marino is first European country to offer ‘vaccine vacation’
Speed Read Tiny landlocked nation to give Russian Sputnik vaccine to paying tourists
By The Week Staff Last updated