A study published in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, reported that women who are overweight or have obesity at either age 14 or 31 have an increased risk of having an ischemic stroke before age 55, while men do not have an increased risk of clot-based stroke. The researchers looked at long-term data from participants in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, following over 10,000 offspring of pregnant women enrolled in the study. Participants were evaluated for body mass index (BMI) at ages 14, 31, or both, with follow-up data continuing until the first stroke, death, moving abroad, or the end of 2020. Findings showed that women with obesity at either age 14 or 31 were more likely to have a clot-caused stroke, with men facing higher risks of bleeding stroke if obese at age 31.
The study found that women with excess weight at either age 14 or 31 had a higher risk of stroke before age 55, while men who were overweight or obese at those ages did not have an increased risk of clot-caused stroke. Additionally, the researchers noted that losing excess weight after adolescence might not eliminate the risk of stroke and recommended that women watch their weight during their 30s if they had excess weight as teens. Experts suggest that healthcare professionals pay attention to weight management issues in teens and young adults, promoting healthy eating and physical activity early on to reduce the risk of stroke later in life. However, it is important to note that the study is observational and cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, and the results may not be applicable to populations outside of Finland.
Dr. José Morales, a vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon, emphasized the need for further research to validate the findings and understand the mechanisms that could contribute to an increased risk of stroke. Dr. Larry Goldstein, a professor at the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, noted that while the study provides evidence of a link between overweight/obesity and stroke in young adults, it remains to be proven if reducing overweight/obesity in younger populations will lower stroke rates. Limitations of the study include its observational nature and the fact that all participants were born in Finland, potentially limiting the generalizability of the results to other populations.
Factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and atrial fibrillation (AFib) are common risk factors for strokes in both men and women. However, there are unique risk factors for stroke in women, such as hormonal differences and the use of hormone-containing medications like oral contraceptive pills, which can increase the risk of embolic stroke. Experts emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, staying physically active, controlling blood pressure, and eating a healthy diet, to prevent strokes. Lifestyle habits should start early to reduce the risk of stroke, with 80 percent of strokes being preventable through appropriate lifestyle changes and primary preventive measures. Further research is needed to explore the impact of weight loss and lifestyle changes on reducing the risk of stroke, especially in diverse populations.
