UAE Doctors Warn of Increasing Stroke Cases Among Younger Patients
Doctors in the UAE are increasingly concerned about the rise in younger stroke patients, with alarming statistics revealing that between 9,000 to 12,000 UAE residents suffer strokes each year.
About half of these cases are individuals under 45, a significant deviation from the global average age of 65 for stroke occurrence. This trend is highlighted by recent data from the Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute (SKSI), which points to lifestyle and health factors as contributors to this issue.
Two instances seen at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah highlight this concerning trend. One case had a 45-year-old male resident who smoked yet managed diabetes with medication. He lately sought medical assistance after suddenly feeling weakness on the left side of his face and arm. Radiologic and clinical exams verified he had experienced an acute stroke. Luckily, he recovered really well with quick medical intervention. Another example had a 42-year-old hypertensive patient with a sedentary lifestyle, an erratic medication schedule, and a past of obstructive sleep apnea. His repeated mild strokes were linked to a constriction in one of the main arteries in the brain. Furthermore responding well to focused therapy and lifestyle changes was this patient.
These cases mirror more general patterns; doctors note that many young stroke patients have common risk factors including untreated medical illnesses including diabetes and hypertension, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. These risk factors taken together greatly raise the chance of stroke in younger people, Common lifestyle issues include high stress levels, little physical activity, and eating patterns that could cause obesity and metabolic problems complicate the situation in the UAE.
The growing prevalence of strokes among younger UAE citizens emphasizes the need of improved preventative plans. Medical experts stress that by changing their lifestyles—that is, by eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and aggressively managing disorders like diabetes and hypertension—stroke is mainly avoidable. Early address of these risk factors will help people lower their stroke risk.
Ranked second most often occurring cause of mortality in the UAE after heart disease, stroke is a major health concern here. It is also a main contributor to long-term handicap. Usually resulting from a blood clot, strokes arise when blood flow to the brain is abruptly stopped, Rapid loss of brain cells resulting from this disturbance causes different symptoms affecting motor abilities, speech, and cognitive ability. Severe cases of stroke could result in either death or lifelong handicap.
Minimizing the effects of a stroke depends much on early diagnosis and treatment. Now available in the UAE, medical innovations such dedicated stroke units and sophisticated imaging technologies have raised the standard of treatment for stroke sufferers. Still, healthcare experts emphasize that the best strategies to prevent stroke in the younger population are awareness-raising campaigns.
UAE healthcare professionals are pushing for more public awareness of the need of frequent health checks, particularly for younger people who might not understand the possible seriousness of their lifestyle choices, Reaching more individuals and offering knowledge on properly controlling stroke risk factors depend mostly on educational efforts and community health projects.
The alarming trend of increasing stroke cases among younger UAE citizens emphasizes the need of better care of underlying medical diseases and lifestyle adjustments. Doctors are advising people to start better lifestyles and act early to track and treat any stroke risk factors. By means of thorough campaigns in awareness and prevention, the UAE might aim to lower the stroke rate among younger individuals, therefore enhancing public health results all throughout the country.