1 in 7 stroke patients in India in 18-44 age group: ICMR study – The Tribune
One in seven stroke patients in India falls in the 18-44 age group, while two in five reach hospital more than 24 hours after the onset of symptoms, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Published in the International Journal of Stroke, the study highlights gaps in acute stroke care, including delays in hospital arrival, limited access to advanced treatment and inadequate follow-up services.
Stroke, it notes, remains a major public health burden with poor outcomes.
The analysis covered 34,792 stroke cases registered across 30 hospitals between January 2020 and December 2022.
Women accounted for 36.6 per cent of the cases. Ischemic stroke accounted for 60 per cent of cases. Only 20.1 per cent were presented within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, while 37.8 per cent of cases presented after 24 hours.
Motor impairment (74.8 per cent) followed by speech disturbance (51.2 per cent) were the commonest symptoms at onset.
The most critical "golden hour" window after the onset of symptoms is within 60 minutes and specialised interventions like mechanical thrombectomy can be effective up to 24 hours in selected patients.
While the largest share of cases (16,411) was in the 45-64 age group, 13.8 per cent were reported among those aged 18-44. The findings are consistent with earlier evidence that strokes in India tend to occur at a younger age compared to western countries.
At admission, hypertension was observed in nearly three-fourths of all cases, making it the leading risk factor across genders. Among men, other key risk factors included tobacco smoking, smokeless tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus and anaemia. Among women, hypertension was followed by diabetes mellitus, smokeless tobacco-use and anaemia.
The study also points to gender-based differences in risk profiles. Hypertension and diabetes were more prevalent among women, along with smokeless tobacco use and anaemia.
In contrast, men showed higher prevalence of tobacco smoking, smokeless tobacco-use and alcohol consumption, alongside hypertension.
An ischaemic stroke occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked or reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients and causing cells to begin dying within minutes.
A haemorrhagic stroke, on the other hand, occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures, leading to bleeding in or around the brain.
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg
Trouble in speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
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