Larner Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Vice Chair of Research Tracy Madsen, M.D., Ph.D., a stroke researcher at the University of Vermont, spoke with Knowridge about a new study finding that younger adults under the age of 50 may face more danger from unexpected stroke risk factors—like migraines with aura or hidden blood clots—than from traditional causes such as high blood pressure or smoking.
The research is important because it breaks stroke data down by age and sex, which can lead to better prevention strategies, Madsen (who was not involved in the study) said.
Traditional risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. But in recent years, doctors have seen more strokes among young adults who don’t have any of these known issues. The new study, published in Stroke, the journal of the American Stroke Association, found that these nontraditional risks may actually double the chances of a stroke in this age group.