Stroke: Overweight teenagers risk contracting it by age 55

In an analysis of more than 50 years of health data, according to research published in Strokeswomen who are overweight or obese at age 14 or 31 are more likely to have a stroke ischemic (caused by a clot) before age 55.

Stroke risk for overweight young women

According to the American Heart Association, an i. Ischemic occurs when a vessel that supplies blood to the brain becomes blocked. There. Ischemic is the most common type and accounts for approximately 87% of all strokes.

The study from Finland suggests that women with excessive weight at age 14 were associated with risk of subsequent stroke caused by clots despite having lost weight by age 31. Additionally, women with excess weight at age 31 were associated with later risk from clots despite having a normal weight at age 14.

There was no increased risk from clots in men who were overweight at age 14 or 31. However, men who were obese at age 31 had a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke than women who were obese at age 31.

“Our findings suggest that being overweight can have long-term health effects, even if the excess weight is temporary,” said study lead author Ursula Mikkola, BM, a researcher in the Health Research Unit of the population at the University of Oulu in Finland.

“Health professionals should pay attention to overweight and obesity in young people and work with them to develop healthier eating and physical activity patterns. However, conversations with adolescents and young adults about weight should be approached in a non-judgmental and non-stigmatizing manner.”

To analyze the association between weight at different ages and risk of stroke before age 55, researchers examined long-term data from participants in the 1966 Northern Finland Birth Cohort. The Northern Finland Birth Cohort was started to help understand the factors linked to preterm birth. and infant deaths.

In 1966, more than 12,000 pregnant women from two northern provinces of Finland were enrolled. Since then, more than 10,000 descendants, now in their 50s, have been followed and their health information has been used in multiple research studies.

For this analysis, the researchers used body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height, to explore whether those who were overweight or obese at age 14 or 31 had a different risk of early stroke compared to peers who were not overweight. or obese at age 14 or 31.

About 1 in 20 participants had a clot-related stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke) during the average follow-up period of nearly 39 years after assessment at age 14 and nearly 23 years later the 31 year assessment. Analysis of the current study concluded in 2020.

Evaluating the impact of periods of excess weight on stroke risk, researchers found:

Women with obesity at age 14 were 87% more likely to have an early stroke or mini-stroke caused by clots, while those with obesity at age 31 were 167% more likely more likely to have a stroke than those of an appropriate weight. Similar associations have not been found among men.

Women who were obese at age 31 had a nearly 3.5-fold increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, while men who were obese at age 31 had a more than 5.5-fold increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

BMI measurements taken earlier in childhood or later in adulthood did not appear to influence the results.

It is important to note that weight is not the only health factor that affects stroke risk. Many other factors influence stroke risk and should be considered in addition to weight.

“By following a healthy lifestyle (eating better, not smoking, sleeping well, managing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, avoiding excessive alcohol use and exercising), you can reduce the risk of stroke even if you were overweight when they were younger,” Mikkola added.

Researchers don’t know why the association between an increased risk of stroke caused by clots was not found in men. Researchers are currently studying potential causes and other risk factors in more detail.

In an accompanying editorial, Larry Goldstein, MD, FAHA, notes: “This study provides further evidence of an association between overweight/obesity and stroke in young adults. However, while it is tempting to assume that reducing overweight/obesity in younger populations would result in lower stroke rates in young adults, this remains to be proven.”

Goldstein is a member of the American Heart Association Stroke Council and chair of the department of neurology and co-director of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, University of Kentucky HealthCare in Lexington, Kentucky.

The analysis was conducted from 1980 to 2020. Participants in the analysis included 10,491 people in their 50s (49% women). BMI was measured at age 14 years, 31 years, or both. Sex- and age-based norms were used to classify participants as overweight or obese based on their body mass index.

Ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks among 14 to 54 year olds were identified using national hospital and death registries.

The association between BMI or changes in BMI and the occurrence of stroke was identified after adjusting for participants’ sex, smoking status, education level (for parents when participants were 14 years old and for participants when they were 31 years old). BMI at the other time point (such as BMI at 31 years versus BMI at 14 years) and age at first menstrual period for women were also considered.

Follow-up data continued until the participants’ first stroke, death, relocation abroad, or the end of the year 2020, whichever came first.

Limitations of the study include that it is an analysis of health data (an observational study) and, therefore, cannot demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between weight and early stroke risk. The participants were all born in Finland, so the results may not be generalizable to people from other countries.

“Stroke at a young age is rare, so the difference of a few strokes could have a huge impact on risk estimates,” Mikkola said. “Additionally, BMI is based solely on a person’s height and weight. Therefore, a high BMI can be a misleading way to define obesity, especially in muscular people who may have little fat even though they weigh more.”