Stroke Can Strike in Your 20s and 30s: Experts Warn of Rising Cases in India

Stroke cases among young adults in India are reportedly increasing, while fewer than 5 per cent of patients reach hospitals within the treatment window, limiting access to timely medical intervention, health experts said on Wednesday.

Dr Shirish M Hastak, Regional Director of Neurology, Stroke and Neurocritical Care at Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, stressed the need to improve access to emergency stroke treatment. He said the proportion of patients reaching hospitals within the treatment window was around 15–20 per cent in some other countries.

Hastak also emphasised the importance of regular blood pressure monitoring, noting that high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke and requires appropriate management.

Dr Nitin Dange, Director and Interventional Neurologist and Neurosurgeon at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, said doctors had observed an increase in stroke cases among younger adults since the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases were previously more commonly reported among people in their 40s and 50s, but doctors were now seeing patients in their 20s and 30s, he said.

Dange estimated that stroke cases among younger people appeared to have increased by 10–15 per cent. He identified high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity and stress as contributing risk factors. Oral contraceptive pills may also increase the risk for some women, particularly when other risk factors are present.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel ruptures, causing bleeding. Without an adequate oxygen supply, brain cells begin to die within minutes, making rapid diagnosis and treatment critical, said Dr Pankaj Agarwal, Director of Neurology, Stroke and Neurocritical Care at Gleneagles Hospital.

Dange said ischaemic strokes, caused by blocked arteries, account for approximately 75–85 per cent of cases, while haemorrhagic strokes, caused by bleeding in the brain, account for 15–20 per cent.

Eligible patients with ischaemic stroke may receive clot-dissolving treatment within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. However, treatment differs according to stroke type, as blood-thinning medication can worsen bleeding in haemorrhagic strokes.