# Strokes in Younger People Not Rare



## Sasha (May 19, 2010)

*Strokes in Younger People Not Rare*
Full Article: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Strokes/20092


> The recent stroke suffered by Delaware's attorney general Beau Biden, who is 41, has highlighted the fact that people of all ages are vulnerable, despite seemingly good health.





> The reasons are unclear, but he noted an increasing number of strokes at his center related to atypical causes such as migraine, drug use, and carotid dissection.
> 
> Although the primary causes of stroke -- obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and excess alcohol consumption -- contribute as well, the atypical causes are more common in the younger age groups than in older individuals, according to Sacco.





> One thing the younger Biden has going for him: Recovery following a stroke is generally better in younger patients, for several reasons.
> 
> One, according to Ana Felix, MD, a neurologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the fact that atrial fibrillation, which is associated with more severe stroke, is less common in younger patients.
> 
> Another reason, Sacco said, is that younger patients retain more brain plasticity and may have fewer comorbidities than their older counterparts.


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## mycrofft (May 19, 2010)

*Other than in premature neonates, yes they are rare.*

I'm so sick of headline mongering "journalists".


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## Aidey (May 19, 2010)

Whose definition of rare are we going by here?


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## Sasha (May 20, 2010)

It's just an article to remind you that strokes are not limited to old people, that's all. No need to get technical. Rare or not, it is possible and somethig to keep in mind.


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## rescue99 (May 20, 2010)

Sasha said:


> It's just an article to remind you that strokes are not limited to old people, that's all. No need to get technical. Rare or not, it is possible and somethig to keep in mind.



Strokes are not limited to the elderly. It is rare but even children suffer strokes.


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## Sasha (May 20, 2010)

rescue99 said:


> Strokes are not limited to the elderly. It is rare but even children suffer strokes.



That was the entire point of posting the article


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## mycrofft (May 20, 2010)

*It is not true.*

It is an exaggeration. We are becoming inured of this sort of hyperbole, but it is simply untrue.
How about:

"Strokes: Not Limited to the Senior Citizens"
"People Forty and Under Also Face Stroke Danger"
"Strokes: Not Just For Granny Anymore". 

I "love" the nearly-annual headline "Teen Suicides On The Rise"; per capita, they are not, but as a total, they are somewhat since there are more young folks overall. If teen suicides had climbed as they claimed since I was young, the streets would be littered yada yada... 

(I don't mean to be heavy-handed, but screwed up health reporting is one of my soapboxes)


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## rescue99 (May 20, 2010)

Sasha said:


> That was the entire point of posting the article


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## Seaglass (May 20, 2010)

rescue99 said:


> Strokes are not limited to the elderly. It is rare but even children suffer strokes.



I personally know someone who had one at the age of 10. It wasn't caught early, and she suffers from permanent motor and cognitive issues. If I ever get a kid who looks like a stroke victim with no other apparent cause, I've promised myself I'll take a moment and run the same assessment as I would on an elderly patient with the same symptoms. Sure, it's really rare, but I usually have quite a bit of time in the back of the truck anyways. I'd rather be paranoid than miss brain damage. 

The New York Times had a non-scientific article on one writer's kid's stroke ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/19stroke.html


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## Sasha (May 20, 2010)

I didn't choose the article title, I simply reposted it.


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## rescue99 (May 20, 2010)

Seaglass said:


> I personally know someone who had one at the age of 10. It wasn't caught early, and she suffers from permanent motor and cognitive issues. If I ever get a kid who looks like a stroke victim with no other apparent cause, I've promised myself I'll take a moment and run the same assessment as I would on an elderly patient with the same symptoms. Sure, it's really rare, but I usually have quite a bit of time in the back of the truck anyways. I'd rather be paranoid than miss brain damage.
> 
> The New York Times had a non-scientific article on one writer's kid's stroke ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/19stroke.html



Our middle child's first strokes occured in utero. What appears common around here is only because we're in and out of children's hospitals a lot, both as parents and EMS. I can think of a few diseases that can lead to strokes in kids. Unfortunately, a child's recovery is no better than an adults.


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## Melclin (May 21, 2010)

*Although its not at all unreasonable to post it.*



mycrofft said:


> (I don't mean to be heavy-handed, but screwed up health reporting is one of my soapboxes)



I can see that many poorly educated providers would be unaware that it was possible so good on ya for posting is Sash. 

But I get what you mean mycrofft......


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## mycrofft (May 21, 2010)

*You got it. Melclin.*

I stepped into it about seven yeras ago when they announced an impending cure for juvenile diabetes. I passed that tidbit on to a hopeful stranger/mother I met at a moptel pool watching our respective kids.  I remember her about once a quarter and cringe.


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## mycrofft (May 21, 2010)

*Sorry for pulling thread onto my bandwagon (there's a metaphor).*

Yeah, you cannot discount a CVA in people outside the convolescent home or Sun City.
Or Florida. B)


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## Melclin (May 22, 2010)

mycrofft said:


> I stepped into it about seven yeras ago when they announced an impending cure for juvenile diabetes. I passed that tidbit on to a hopeful stranger/mother I met at a moptel pool watching our respective kids.  I remember her about once a quarter and cringe.



While that is cringe worthy, what bothers me more are the huge bodies of health care laity who, because of reporting in the style of what I posted, go on to think that "scientists" and "doctors" are some unified body who's official recommendations on various things flip flops every few moths. The old, "_________ causes cancer/reduces your risk of cancer, scientists/doctors say", is the one that causes the most trouble I find. Subsequently you get people saying, "Oh doctors, first its this, then its that, they don't know what they're on about", often followed by the more insidious, "...so I guess I'll give that homeopathic remedy a go". :wacko:


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