About 10% of the 800,000 strokes that happen in the U.S. each year strike adults younger than 45, reports WebMD Health News.
A stroke -- an event where blood flow to the brain is disrupted, either by a blood clot or bleeding -- can be devastating at any age. But when a younger adult has one, they're affected "in the prime of their life, in their most productive years," says Jose Biller, MD, reported the health website.
And while adults over 65 seem to be having fewer strokes, studies suggest that these "brain attacks" may be on the rise in younger adults, says WebMD Health News.
On top of that, many doctors don't recognize stroke symptoms in younger patients, and a delay in diagnosis may lead to more permanent damage.
People having a stroke who get to the hospital within 4 and a half hours of their attack are eligible to get a drug that can break up a clot in the brain, restoring blood flow, according to the WebMD report.
And studies show younger stroke patients are more likely than their older counterparts to benefit from this early treatment.