EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, September 23, 2026
More Young Adults Are Having Strokes Than Three Decades Ago
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
Highlights:
- Stroke rates among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled over a 27-year period in a large U.S. population study.
- The increase was driven primarily by ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke.
- Researchers found rises over time in high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and substance use among younger adults who had strokes.
- While stroke became more common in younger adults, 30-day death rates after stroke declined modestly.
- Findings suggest a growing number of younger stroke survivors may be living with long-term disability.
MINNEAPOLIS — Stroke is becoming more common among
younger adults, according to a study published September 23, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers found that
strokes among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled over nearly three decades,
even as short-term survival after stroke improved.
“While stroke has traditionally been considered a disease of
older adults, our findings show that stroke is becoming increasingly common in
younger adults,” said study author Emily R. Fisher, MD, of the University of
Cincinnati. “At the same time, more people are surviving these strokes, which
means more younger adults may be living with the long-term effects of stroke.”
The study looked at strokes in the Greater Cincinnati and
Northern Kentucky region from 1993 through 2020. Researchers identified 2,076
first-ever strokes among adults ages 20 to 54.
Researchers found that the rate of strokes among younger
adults increased from 33.9 cases per 100,000 person-years in 1993-1994 to 62.2
cases per 100,000 person-years in 2020.
The increase appeared to be driven by ischemic stroke, which
occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked. The ischemic stroke
rate rose from 23.8 cases per 100,000 person-years in 1993-1994 to 47.3 cases
per 100,000 person-years in 2020. Researchers did not find similar increases
for other types of stroke such as intracerebral hemorrhage, a bleeding stroke
within the brain, or subarachnoid hemorrhage, a bleeding stroke around the
brain.
Researchers found that some health problems became more
common over time among people who had a stroke. There were increases in high
blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and substance use among younger
adults who had stroke. Substance use among younger adults with stroke increased
from 4.6% in 1993-1994 to 40.2% in 2020, with much of the increase reflecting
marijuana use.
Researchers also looked at 30-day death rates after stroke.
After adjusting for age, race and sex, researchers found a slight decline over
time, from 11.7% in 1993-1994 to 9.4% in 2020. Improvements were largely seen
among people with intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
“Our findings highlight the importance of identifying and
managing stroke risk factors early in adulthood,” Fisher said. “Additional
research is needed to better understand what is driving these trends and how
they can be reversed.”
A limitation of the study was that researchers did not have
comparable information from people without stroke, so they could not determine
whether observed trends in risk factors explain the increase in stroke rates.
The study was supported by the Greater Cincinnati/Northern
Kentucky Stroke Study.
Discover more about stroke at BrainHealth.com, a free public resource from the American Academy of Neurology. It offers a website, podcast, and books, connecting you with trusted information from the world’s leading experts in brain health. Follow BrainHealth.com on Facebook, X, and Instagram.