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Stroke is often seen as a condition that only affects older people. Yet the incidence of stroke in older people has actually fallen in recent decades. At the same time, rates of stroke in under-55s have been on the rise.

In England, stroke incidence among 35- to 54-year-olds rose by about 2% a year between 2001 and 2010, even as overall rates dropped. In Oxfordshire alone, stroke rates in under-55s were about 90% higher in 2010–2018 than in 1981–1986—while rates in older people fell.

The U.S. tells a similar story, with stroke rates in 20- to 54-year-olds rising from 34 to 62 cases per 100,000 people a year between 1993–1994 and 2020.

Globally, nearly 2.8 million people under 55 had a stroke in 2021, almost 90% of them in low- and middle-income countries. Between 2020 and 2030, it's projected that rates of ischemic stroke (the most common type, which is caused by a blood clot) among 20- to 39-year-olds will rise by about 12%.

The rising rates of stroke in young people largely appear to be driven by things we can change.

A large international study identified 10 modifiable risk factors which accounted for around 92% of strokes that occurred in people under 55. These factors included high blood pressure, physical inactivity, high cholesterol, poor diet, obesity, smoking, heart problems, diabetes, alcohol consumption and psychosocial factors (such as stress or poor mental health).

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