Risk factors of stroke in young adults: a retrospective cohort study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52692/1857-0011.2025.3-83.24Keywords:
cerebral ischemia, young population, etiological factors, preventionAbstract
Introduction: The incidence of ischemic stroke in young adults (defined by several studies as the population aged 18- 50) accounts for approximately 15% - 18% of the total number of ischemic stroke cases. Many studies have highlighted the significant impact of traditional vascular risk factors in the etiology of ischemic stroke among the young adult population.
Purpose: To assess the risk factors and causes of ischemic stroke among young adults in an institutional cohort.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the electronic data registry of the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, by analyzing medical records of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke between October 2017 and February 2022. Predominantly traditional risk factors were analyzed in young adults with ischemic stroke.
Results: From 2056 medical records analyzed, 79 patients (3.8%) were identified as young adults, 55 males and 24 females, with an average age of 43.24 ± 7.35 [min 21; max 50]. 65 patients (82.3% of cases) were diagnosed with primary ischemic stroke, and 14 patients (17.7% of cases) with recurrent ischemic stroke. The most frequent traditional risk factors found among young adults were hypertension (75.9% – 60 patients), dyslipidemia (36.7% - 29 patients), the presence of atherosclerotic plaques (34.2% – 27 patients, of which 10 had occlusions), smoking (30.4% - 24 patients), obesity (29.1% – 23 patients), and type II diabetes (21.5% – 17 patients). 27 individuals had high total cholesterol levels, and 16
individuals had high triglyceride levels. For prevention, antihypertensive treatment was administered by only 33 patients (41.8%), antithrombotic therapy –- by 22 patients (27.85%), and lipid-lowering drugs by 8 patients (10.1%).
Conclusions: Like other studies, ours shows a high prevalence of traditional, potentially modifiable risk factors for ischemic stroke in young adults, so it highlights the need of implementation of more rigorous national prevention measures and control of risk factors, particularly for young individuals.
References
Liu J, Xu A, Zhao Z, Ren B, Gao Z, Fang D, et al. Epidemiology and future trend predictions of ischemic stroke based on the global burden of disease study 1990– 2021. Commun Med. 2025;5(1).
Namaganda P, Nakibuuka J, Kaddumukasa M, Katabira E. Stroke in young adults, stroke types and risk factors: a case control study. BMC Neurol [Internet]. 2022;22(1):1–13. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12883-022-02853-5
Ohya Y, Matsuo R, Sato N, Irie F, Nakamura K, Wakisaka Y, et al. Causes of ischemic stroke in young adults versus non-young adults: A multicenter hospital- based observational study. PLoS One [Internet]. 2022;17(7 July):1–20.
Smajlović D. Strokes in young adults: Epidemiology and prevention. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2015;11:157–64.
Min Zhang, MM*; Zhiping Long, MD*; Peifang Liu, MD; Qi Qin, MD; Heli Yuan, MM; Yukun Cao, MD; Yanjie Jia, MD; Xiao Liu, MM; Yue Yu, MD; Yi Wu, MM; Bing Pei, MD; Jingyu Ye, MM; Maoqing Wang, MD; Fan Wang M. Global Burden and Risk Factors of Stroke in Young Adults, 1990 to 2021: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. J Am Heart Assoc. 14(10).
Putaala J, Metso AJ, Metso TM, Konkola N, Kraemer Y, Haapaniemi E, et al. Analysis of 1008 consecutive patients
aged 15 to 49 with first-ever ischemic stroke the Helsinki young stroke registry. Stroke. 2009;40(4):1195–203.
Putaala J, Yesilot N, Waje-Andreassen U, Pitkäniemi J, Vassilopoulou S, Nardi K, et al. Demographic and geographic vascular risk factor differences in european young adults with ischemic stroke: The 15 cities young stroke study. Stroke. 2012;43(10):2624–30.
Efremova D, Bondarciuc A, Bitca P, Glavan D, Ciobanu N, Groppa S. Stroke risk factors in young adults in the population of the republic of Moldova. Int J Stroke [Internet]. 2020;15(1 SUPPL):507.
H Iso 1, D R Jacobs Jr, D Wentworth, J D Neaton JDC. Serum cholesterol levels and six-year mortality from stroke in 350,977 men screened for the multiple risk factor intervention trial. NEJM. 320(14):904–10.
Michelle H. Leppert, Lynda D. Lisabeth TEMJFB. Systematic Review of Sex Differences in Ischemic Strokes Among Young Adults: Are Young Women Disproportionately at Risk? AHA/ASA journals. Vol 53, Nr.
Putaala J. Ischemic stroke in the young: Current perspectives on incidence, risk factors, and cardiovascular prognosis. Eur Stroke J. 2016;Vol. 1(1):28–40.
Downloads
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
