Risk Factors Among Young Stroke Victims in Underserved Communities: Are These Strokes Preventable?

Objective: To examine the risk factors contributing to stroke subtypes among young and standard patients at a Los Angeles County Hospital. Background: Mounting evidence has pointed to an alarming trend: an increase in stroke among the young. The prevalence within underserved communities has been particularly disquieting. We sought to further understand stroke in this population. Design/Methods: Records from 227 consecutive stroke patients age ≤55 (young group, YG) and 75 patients age ≥60 (standard group, SG) at a Los Angeles County stroke clinic were reviewed. TIA, ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were included. Ischemic stroke patients were classified by TOAST criteria. Results: The mean age was 45.0±9.0 for YG and 67.1±7.8 for SG. There was no significant difference between groups in the relative percentages of ischemic stroke, TIA and ICH. Diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia were common risk factors, with at least two of the three seen in 89.23% of SG and 60.4% of YG (p Conclusions: Although young stroke patients had a higher prevalence of non-standard stroke subtypes, a larger percentage suffered traditional strokes (e.g. small vessel). Modifiable stroke risk factors were common contributors, offering hope that the rising incidence of stroke in the young can be averted. Disclosure: Dr. Wu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rao has nothing to disclose.