Why so many people are having strokes in their 20s, 30s and 40s: ‘We’ve never had patients so young’

Strokes are on the rise among younger people, with a recent CDC report revealing a 14.6% increase among people aged 18–44 from 2020 to 2022.

While the alarming trend has been stumping medical professionals, one expert has shared some intriguing theories with The Post.

“We’ve never had patients so young,” said Dr. Mohammad Anadani, Chief of Neuroendovascular Services for the Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute. 

“We don’t think about stroke in 20-year-old patients. We feel more pressure when caring for these patients because they are so young.”

Anadani recently treated not one but two extremely young adults who had a stroke — Ann Fulk, 24, and Aubrey Hasley, 23.

Their strokes came as a huge surprise to, well, everyone — especially since they were both, by all common standards, healthy.

Anadani believes both of their strokes were embolic — which means they originated elsewhere in the body and traveled to the brain instead of forming directly in the brain’s blood vessels.

“Both were taking oral contraceptives, which are known to increase the risk of stroke,” he said, noting that Aubrey had a patent foramen ovale (PFO), or a hole in her heart, which likely contributed to her stroke by allowing a clot to bypass the lungs and travel to the brain.

“As for the overall increase in strokes among younger adults, the exact reasons are not fully understood,” he said.

“However, it’s likely related to a rise in traditional cerebrovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity.

“Lifestyle factors like increased stress, long working hours and physical inactivity have also been suggested as contributing factors.”

But there are other factors that could be at play. Fulk noted that she was working a lot at the time of her stroke and, as a result, consuming a lot of caffeine.

The product she was drinking contains 200 mg of caffeine per can. Experts recommend no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day for healthy adults. 

“While there is no clear evidence directly linking energy drinks to stroke, several studies have reported an increased risk of hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, associated with their use,” Anadani said.

“These conditions are known risk factors for stroke, so it is plausible that energy drinks may contribute to an elevated risk, especially in vulnerable individuals,” he noted.

Indeed, Scarsdale cardiologist and TikTok star Dr. Evan Levine has previously told The Post that he considers energy drinks to be one of the four worst drinks for heart health.

Levine also points the finger to the popularity of Adderall and the ease with which it can be obtained — especially with the rise of telehealth companies.

“In April 2024, they find that when you follow them up for eight years, young healthy people aged 20 to 40, they have a 57% higher risk than young healthy people not on these meds,” Levine previously told The Post.

Anadani thinks this theory is a solid maybe.

“Regarding Adderall, the evidence is mixed. While most studies did not show a strong association between Adderall use and stroke, some studies did,” he said,

“While energy drinks and Adderall could play a role in the rise of strokes among young adults, they likely contribute to a lesser degree than more well-established risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity and chronic stress.”