Neurology: Triggers of stroke in youth: a case crossover study

The cause of stroke in young people is different from that in older people, and in a larger proportion of cases, the cause
cannot be determined.
To gain a deeper understanding of the causes of stroke in young people (cryptogenic), a study published in Neurology investigated whether triggers, such as short-term exposure to toxins or infections, might play a role
.

Patients aged 18-49 years with their first ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at 17 participating centres in the Netherlands completed a questionnaire on exposure to nine potential triggers during risky periods and conducted
annually regularly.
The risk (RR) of any stroke (ischaemic stroke with intracerebral haemorrhage) and subgroup of different etiologies was assessed with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using the case crossover design and the Mantel-Haenszel case crossover approach
.

Coke consumption, strenuous physical activity, sexual activity, illicit drug use, fever and influenza-like illness were identified as potential triggers of stroke in young people and found differences in the type and number of triggers associated with subgroups of different etiologies
.
These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology
of stroke in young people (cryptogenic).

Sources: Ekker MS, Verhoeven JI, Rensink K, et al.
Trigger Factors for Stroke in Young Adults: A Case-Crossover Study [published online ahead of print, 2022 Sep 20].
Neurology.
2022; 10.
1212/WNL.
0000000000201341.
doi:10.
1212/WNL.
0000000000201341