Long-Term Stroke Rate Down 50 Percent for Older Adults

A study published in Stroke found the occurrence of strokes in the United States has declined 53 percent for adults older than 55 in the last 40 years, reports United Press International . Middle-aged U.S. adults between 35 and 55 became about 39 percent less likely to suffer strokes over the same period. "Most strokes at midlife were due to diseases of the arteries caused by a clot migrating from the heart," said Boston University Professor Hugo J. Aparicio. "We also looked at vascular risk factors, such as hypertension and smoking, which have been declining among both age groups over time." Aparicio stressed the need for "continued preventative efforts . . . to be made to reduce the occurrence of stroke among middle-aged adults. Namely, we emphasize a focus on public health education and controlling vascular risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking." The team suggested preventative technology like magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography has yielded subtler insights to doctors about less common stroke symptoms, especially for young adults who are not concerned about stroke risk. "Physicians should continue to emphasize . . . that stroke can occur at any age," Aparicio advised.