Stroke Incidence Declines Among Older Adults, Remains Steady Among Younger Adults

A study in Neurology of younger and older adults in Denmark between 2005 and 2018 found that rates of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage remained stable in adults aged 18 to 49 years while declining in older adults, particularly in those 70 years and older, reports Healio . The incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage also fell, though more significantly among younger adults. Stroke mortality also decreased over time in both age groups, mainly due to declines in mortality following severe strokes. Thirty-day and one-year mortality from subarachnoid hemorrhage "indicated declining trends for both younger and older adults," the researchers noted. Most trends also were similar for men and women. "Our study extends existing knowledge by examining trends in younger and older adults according to stroke severity," the researchers concluded. "Mild ischemic strokes have increased in incidence, while the most severe cases have declined. In younger adults, the lack of an upward trend reported in some prior studies is encouraging, and further risk factor reduction could lead to a decline."