Doctors are concerned about stroke cases in young people, what can be done to prevent them?

(Dan Tri) - 28 years old, just graduated from post-graduate school in England, working at a large university, the young man suddenly had a stroke. After this incident, the young man's future almost closed.

Stroke, once considered an "old man's disease", is now affecting young people, even those under 30.

Sharing on his personal page, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Huy Thang, Head of the Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, People's Hospital 115, Vice President of the Vietnam Stroke Association, could not help but worry about this alarming situation.

Recently, many young people have been hospitalized for strokes, causing medical experts to worry (Illustration: Getty).

Stroke under 30 years old

Associate Professor Nguyen Huy Thang said that recently, People's Hospital 115 received a 28-year-old male patient with brain damage that had spread to almost half of the hemisphere.

Previously, the patient lived a normal life, but suddenly became paralyzed on the right side of his body and lost the ability to speak after an evening out with friends.

Although he was quickly taken to a hospital near his home, his condition had become serious by the time he was transferred to People's Hospital 115. There, the patient was forced to undergo open craniotomy to save his life, but his neurological prognosis was very poor.

From a recent graduate in the UK, working at a major university, after this incident, the young man's future almost came to an end.

"Clearly, the boy has no future," Associate Professor Thang shared.

Fortunately, another case is a 23-year-old man who is a 6th year medical student. He also suffered a stroke but was discovered and treated promptly. Thanks to the quick and effective intervention of the medical team, the patient has fully recovered and returned to normal life and study.

Alarming situation

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Huy Thang, the average age of stroke in Vietnam is about 10 years lower than in developed countries, where this number ranges from 70-75 years old.

In Vietnam, it is not uncommon for stroke patients under 56 years old to have a stroke, even some as young as 15 years old.

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 show that Vietnam recorded nearly 160,000 deaths from stroke, many of which occurred in young people, especially in developing countries like Vietnam.

The causes of the rejuvenation of stroke can include factors such as unhealthy lifestyle, work pressure, smoking habits, alcohol abuse, obesity, and lack of exercise.

In particular, the use of e-cigarettes - a popular trend among young people - also increases the risk of stroke due to the effects of nicotine on the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

In addition, underlying diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lipid disorders, and atrial fibrillation, although without obvious symptoms, are also "silent enemies" that accelerate the risk of stroke in young people.

This makes Associate Professor Nguyen Huy Thang ask a question: "When should we start screening for stroke?".

According to the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA), stroke risk assessment should begin at age 40 during routine health checkups, focusing on factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and lifestyle.

However, for those at high risk, screening may be recommended earlier, even before age 40. Those who need special attention include:

- People with family history: Parents or siblings had stroke or cardiovascular disease at a young age.

- People with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, or lipid disorders.

- High-risk lifestyles such as smoking (including e-cigarettes), obesity, physical inactivity or alcohol abuse.

- Prior transient ischemic attack: This is often an early warning sign of a stroke.

Associate Professor Thang noted that the purpose of screening is to detect early risk factors for stroke such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lipid disorders, atrial fibrillation, or vascular disease.

"In many cases, these conditions may not cause any symptoms at all. However, early detection will help with timely intervention through lifestyle changes, medical treatment or preventive measures to reduce the risk of stroke," he explained.

Additionally, screening is just the beginning. People need to control their risk factors through lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and getting regular checkups. This is the key to effective stroke prevention.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/bac-si-tran-tro-voi-cac-ca-dot-quy-o-nguoi-tre-lam-gi-de-phong-ngua-20250629110034912.htm