Sen. Chris Murphy’s stroke at 53 underscores a growing rise in strokes among younger adults

After U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a 53-year-old Democrat from Connecticut, was hospitalized following a stroke, his chief of staff said she was optimistic he would make a full recovery.

Although strokes are more common in older adults, cases among younger people have become increasingly familiar.

Over the past three decades, stroke rates among adults ages 20 to 54 have climbed. Researchers found that the stroke incidence rate in this age group nearly doubled by 2020, rising from 33.90 cases per 100,000 people to 62.18. While older adults still experience far more strokes overall, rates among that population declined during the same period.

When Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers compared data from one period with a later one, they found stroke prevalence rose 14.6% among people ages 18 to 44 and 15.7% among those 45 to 64.

No single explanation fully accounts for the increase, but risk factors such as high blood pressure and obesity have also become more common among younger adults.

One Florida study found that from 2014 to 2022, younger patients ages 18 to 55 who suffered the most common type of stroke were increasingly likely to have existing vascular risk factors, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes or sleep apnea.

Health experts recommend lowering stroke risk by quitting smoking and avoiding recreational drug use, eating a balanced diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, staying physically active and managing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

High blood pressure greatly raises stroke risk, and some people may feel perfectly healthy even when they have hypertension, Dr. Elizabeth Rosen, a neurologist at Tufts Medical Center, told Prevention.

Dr. Aaron Shoskes, a University of Utah neurologist, said regular medical visits can help identify stroke risk factors early. A primary care appointment can provide information about weight, family history of stroke and other health concerns.

“Once those numbers are known, the next step is working with a clinician to manage them,” Shoskes told the university. “Early intervention makes a big difference.”