Watch CBS News

Journal Reports Rise In Number Of Strokes In Younger People

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A disturbing trend in our nation's health reported in the journal JAMA Neurology.

Hospitalizations for acute ischemic stroke in younger people appeared to rise over the past decade.

There were almost 30,000 more hospitalizations for acute ischemic stroke in people under 65 in 2012 than there were in 2003.

The news may not be as bleak as it appears, because researchers think that changes in the diagnostic classification system and coding may account for the increase.

In other words, doctors may be documenting the cause of death more efficiently, but the concern is that we still have this high number of deaths.

There is another concern raised by one of the authors of the study, who said, in a country that spends almost a fifth of the largest gross domestic product on the planet on healthcare, we cannot say with confidence whether the fifth leading cause of death in the United States is increasing or decreasing in the young.

A better way to collect data can lead to greater research, and a better way to understand causes and ways to possibly reduce the number of cases.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.