Rising Stroke Incidence in Young Adults: Evolving Risk Profiles and Mortality Trends from a Population-Based Study

Highlight

1. Stroke incidence rates among young adults (20-54 years) nearly doubled from 1993/4 to 2020, particularly driven by ischemic strokes.
2. Despite the rising stroke occurrence, 30-day case fatality rates modestly declined, especially in hemorrhagic stroke types.
3. Increases in traditional vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and substance use were noted over the study periods.
4. Contrarily, stroke incidence decreased in older adults (>54 years) during the same timeframe.

Study Background