Strokes Striking at Younger Age Groups - National Stroke Association

Strokes Striking at Younger Age Groups
Friday, May 13, 2011
By: Lois Collins

Lois M. Collins, Deseret News

Strokes have been striking "at younger ages overall" during the last decade, according to a Utah County neurologist, who says experts are not sure why.

"There's some suspicion it may have to do with obesity, not living healthy lifestyles, stress. We think some are blowing off non-symptomatic disease processes" like high blood pressure," said Dr. Kevin Call, a neurologist at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

Call and Kelly Anderson, a registered nurse who is the stroke program coordinator at Intermountain Medical Center and Alta View, LDS and Riverton hospitals, are featured experts on Saturday's Deseret News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline. From 10 a.m. to noon, they'll take phoned-in questions regarding all aspects of stroke, from prevention to treatments. The number is 1-800-925-8177. You can also post questions on the Deseret News Facebook page during that same time period.

"We could probably prevent about 60 percent of all strokes if everybody had normal blood pressure," Call said. "Blood pressure is a problem here in Utah."