A new study found that women who were overweight at age 14 or 31 have a higher risk of ischemic stroke before age 55, based on an analysis of over 50 years of health data. The research was published in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association.
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According to the American Heart Association, an ischemic stroke occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed. Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke and accounts for about 87% of all strokes.
A study in Finland found that women who were overweight at age 14 had a higher risk of clot-caused stroke later in life, even if they had lost weight by age 31. Similarly, women who were overweight at age 31 had a higher risk of clot-caused stroke, even if they were normal weight at age 14. This increased risk of clot-caused stroke was not found in men who were overweight at ages 14 or 31. However, men with a higher body mass index at age 14 or 31 had an increased risk of clot-caused stroke.
The study found that women who were obese at the age of 31 had a higher risk of experiencing a bleeding stroke. Ursula Mikkola, the lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of addressing overweight and obesity in young people, and promoting healthier eating and physical activity without judgment.in a stigmatizing manner.”
The researchers reviewed long-term data from participants in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 to analyze the association between weight at different ages and the risk of stroke before age 55. The Northern Finland study group was created to understand factors related to preterm birth and infant deaths. In 1966, over 12,000 pregnant women were enrolled from two northern provinces in Finland. More than 10,000 offspring, now in their 50s, have been followed ever since, with their health information used in multiple research studies.
For this analysis, the researchers used the body mass index (BMI) to assess the participants’ weight at different ages and its correlation with the risk of stroke before the age of 55., a ratio of weight to height, to explore whether those who were overweight or obese at age 14 or age 31 had a different risk of early stroke compared to peers who were not overweight or obese at age 14 or 31. Approximately 1 out of 20 participants experienced a clot-caused stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, or mini-stroke) during the average follow-up period of almost 39 years after the age 14 evaluation and almost 23 years after the age 31 evaluation. The current study’s analysis ended in 2020.
Examining the impact of periods of excess weight on stroke risk, the researchers discovered:
- Women affected by obesity at age 14 were 87It is important to note that weight is not the only health factor that impacts stroke risk. Many other factors contribute to the risk of having a stroke or mini-stroke, including blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and smoking. These findings suggest that maintaining a healthy weight throughout early adulthood may be important for reducing the risk of stroke. However, it’s also important to focus on overall health and not just weight.The impact of lifestyle on stroke risk should be taken into account along with weight. Making healthy choices, such as improving diet, not smoking, getting enough sleep, managing blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, limiting alcohol intake, and exercising regularly, can reduce the risk of stroke, even for those who were overweight in the past,” Mikkola stated.The reasons for the lack of association between increased risk of clot-caused stroke and men are currently unknown. Researchers are currently examining potential causes and other risk factors in greater depth.In an accompanying editorial, it was noted that the reasons for the gender disparity in stroke risk warrant further investigation.by Dr. Aditya Surapaneni, M.D., of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and his colleagues. The researchers used data from the REGARDS study, a national, population-based, longitudinal study of 30,239 black and white adults aged 45 and older. The study, which began in 2003 and is funded by the National Institutes of Health, is designed to investigate the reasons behind the higher stroke mortality in the southeastern United States, and among black Americans. The study included 1,127 young adults aged 18-55 (mean age 45, 34% black, 55% women) who were enrolled in the REGARDS study between 2003-2007. Over a median 7.5 years of follow-up, there were 7.8 strokes, heart attacks or deaths in this age group.The purpose of this analysis was to determine the proportion of strokes that occurred among young adults, identify characteristics that were associated with a higher risk of stroke among young adults, and determine how many strokes could be attributed to overweight or obesity in this age group.
- In the study, overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25-29.9 kg/m2, and obesity was defined as a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher. Based on this, the researchers classified participants as normal weight, overweight or obese. Additional assessments included waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol levels, smoking status and physical activity. Key findings:
From 1980 to 2020, a study was conducted with 10,491 participants in their 50s, with 49% being women. The participants’ BMI was measured at age 14, age 31, or both, and they were classified as overweight or obese based on sex- and age-based norms. Ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks occurring between ages 14 and 54 were identified using national hospital and death registers. The study also considered factors such as participants’ sex, smoking status, and education levels (both for parents when participants were 14 and for participants themselves at age 31) when analyzing the association between BMI or changes in BMI and the occurrence of stroke.
- Additional factors such as BMI at different time points (e.g., BMI at age 31 compared to BMI at age 14) and the age at which women had their first menstrual period were also taken into account.
- Follow-up data was collected until the participants experienced their first stroke, passed away, relocated abroad, or until the end of the year 2020, whichever occurred first.
It’s important to note that this study has its limitations, as it is based on health data and is therefore an observational study. This means that it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship between weight and the risk of experiencing a stroke at an early age. Additionally, since all of the participants were born in Finland, the results may not be applicable to individuals in other countries.
“Stroke at a young age is rare, so the diff rnrnThe author Mikkola explained that making even small adjustments to the calculations could greatly affect the risk estimates. In addition, BMI is based solely on height and weight, so a high BMI might not accurately reflect obesity, specifically in individuals with high muscle mass and low body fat.