Why the number of strokes is increasing among young people: doctors" opinion

Alarming trend: stroke is rapidly "getting younger" and attacking people under 45

The medical community is sounding the alarm: stroke, once considered exclusively a disease of the elderly, is increasingly affecting young people today. This dangerous trend is gaining momentum both in post-Soviet countries and worldwide. Specialists point to modern lifestyle as the key factor in this concerning phenomenon.

Stress and chronic fatigue

The life of modern youth has turned into a continuous race: fierce competition, social instability, constant pressure from social networks. These factors create the foundation for chronic stress, which provokes dangerous narrowing of blood vessels and disrupts normal blood supply to the brain. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of proper body recovery.

Sleep disorders

Chronic sleep deprivation, working night shifts, the habit of scrolling through social media feeds before bed – all of this destroys the body's natural biorhythms. Studies show a direct link between sleep deficiency and cardiovascular system problems, including increased risk of blood clot formation and cerebral circulation disorders.

Hypertension in young people

High blood pressure is rapidly "getting younger." While hypertension used to be a calling card of the older generation, today it is increasingly found in patients aged 20-30. The asymptomatic course of the disease poses a particular danger – many learn about their diagnosis only after having suffered a stroke.

Poor nutrition and obesity

Fast food culture, carbonated drinks, excessive consumption of salt and sugar – all of this creates ideal conditions for increasing cholesterol levels and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. Excess weight, especially abdominal obesity, becomes an additional risk factor for stroke development in young people.

Harmful habits

Tobacco smoking, vaping, alcohol abuse and narcotic substances significantly accelerate the deterioration of the vascular system. Medical professionals are particularly concerned about the combination of energy drinks with alcohol, popular among young people – such a combination can cause a sharp spike in blood pressure and trigger a stroke even in an apparently healthy person.

Online addiction and sedentary lifestyle

The modern generation spends a record amount of time in front of computer and smartphone screens, neglecting physical activity. Hypodynamia leads to slowed blood flow, contributes to the formation of blood clots, and gradually weakens vascular walls.

COVID-19 and post-COVID consequences

The coronavirus pandemic has left a serious mark on the health of many young people. Medical statistics record an alarming increase in vascular complications, including strokes, among those who have had COVID-19. Experts link this to inflammatory processes in the vascular system and disorders in the blood coagulation system after infection.

Doctors' conclusion

Stroke at a young age is no longer a medical rarity and has become a new reality. However, specialists emphasize: in most cases, this is a preventable condition. Comprehensive prevention includes regular