A doctor
A growing number of young Nigerians are suffering strokes due to poor lifestyle choices, environmental risks, and undetected health conditions, medical experts have revealed.
The physicians stressed the urgent need for early screening, noting that stroke now affects more young adults in their 20s and 30s, often striking without warning.
Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise, the experts identified several driving factors behind the trend, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, stress, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and excessive consumption of alcohol and processed foods.
According to them, many of these risk factors are silent, showing no symptoms, and go unchecked until a stroke occurs.
In addition to these lifestyle-related causes, the experts noted that some young individuals may have genetic or medical conditions that elevate their risk, such as sickle cell disease, congenital heart abnormalities, migraines, HIV, and even pregnancy-related complications.
They explained that the combination of genetic susceptibility and poor lifestyle habits is proving especially dangerous for African youth.
According to the World Health Organisation, stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and it is likely to worsen in developing countries over the next two decades. Punch
