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Review
. 2023 Jul 29;12(15):4999.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12154999.

Stroke in Young Adults

Syed Bukhari  1 , Shadi Yaghi  2 , Zubair Bashir  2
Affiliations
Review

Stroke in Young Adults

Syed Bukhari et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Stroke in young adults is associated with significant morbidity, and its prevalence is rising in the United States. This is partly attributed to a rise in the prevalence of traditional risk factors including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, smoking and heart disease. In addition, there are non-modifiable risk factors comprising migraine, pregnancy and postpartum state, illicit drug use, oral contraceptives and hypercoagulable state. The mechanisms causing stroke in young adults are unique and include cervical dissection, cardioembolic phenomenon, vasculitis and vasculopathy, connective tissue disease, patent foramen ovale and cerebral venous thrombosis. The diagnosis of stroke in the young population can be challenging given its myriad clinical presentations. In this document, we provide an overview of the epidemiology of stroke in young adults, explore mechanisms that may explain increasing rates of stroke in this population, and provide a critical updated overview of the existing literature on the management and prevention of stroke in young adults.

Keywords: dissection; mechanisms; stroke.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Risk factors for stroke in young adults.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mechanisms of stroke in young adults.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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