World Stroke Day: Why are young UAE residents getting strokes?

World Stroke Day: Why are young UAE residents getting strokes?

Abu Dhabi: Stroke is the second leading cause of death and one in four people across the world is at risk of suffering a stroke during their lifetime.

The serious neurological condition is also a foremost cause of disability, with individuals experiencing a decline in their physical function and cognitive ability following a stroke.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off, either because a clot has blocked the blood flow (ischemic) or because a blood vessel in the brain has burst (hemorrhagic).

Once limited to people of advanced age, strokes are now commonly experienced by people in their 30s and 40s. The condition can be life-threatening, and urgent medical attention is necessary.

In the UAE, where strokes affect around 10,000 people every year, the average age of a stroke patient is 45 years, which is 20 years younger than the global average.

Strokes are currently the third leading cause of death in the country and the second leading cause of disability, after road accidents.

Some reports say that 50 per cent of stroke patients in the UAE are below the age of 45 years.

Why young victims?

On World Stroke Day, observed on October 29, an expert in the