Study Finds Higher Stroke Risk by Age 55 for Women with Excess Weight as Teens or Young Adults

In an analysis of more than 50 years of health data, women who were overweight or obese at age 14 or 31 were more likely to have an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke before age 55, according to research published in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association.

According to the American Heart Association, an ischemic stroke occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed. Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke and accounts for about 87% of all strokes.

The study suggested that women with overweight at age 14 were associated with later clot-caused stroke risk despite having lost weight by age 31. Also, women with overweight at age 31 were associated with later clot-caused stroke risk despite having been normal weight at age 14. An increased risk of clot-caused stroke was not found in men who were overweight at ages 14 or 31. However, men with obesity at age 31 had a higher risk of bleeding stroke compared to women with obesity at age 31.

The study analysed the association between weight at different ages and the risk of stroke before age 55 by reviewing long-term data from a birth cohort. Researchers used the body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height, to determine if those who were overweight or obese at age 14 or age 31 had a different risk of early stroke compared to peers who were not overweight or obese at these ages.

Assessing the impact of periods of excess weight on stroke risk, the researchers found:

1. Women affected by obesity at age 14 were 87% more likely to have an early clot-caused stroke or mini-stroke, while those with obesity at age 31 were 167% more likely to have a stroke compared to those at appropriate weight. Similar associations were not found among men.

2. Women with obesity at age 31 had almost 3 ½ times increased risk of bleeding stroke, and men with obesity at age 31 had more than 5 ½ times increased risk of bleeding stroke.

3. BMI measurements earlier in childhood or later in adulthood did not appear to affect the results.

“Our findings suggest that being overweight may have long-term health effects even if the excess weight is temporary. Healthcare professionals should pay attention to overweight and obesity in young people and work with them to develop healthier eating patterns and physical activity. However, conversations with teens and young adults about weight should be approached in a non-judgmental and non-stigmatizing manner,” said lead study author Ursula Mikkola.

Reference: Ursula Mikkola, Ina Rissanen, Milja Kivelä, Harri Rusanen, et al.; Overweight in Adolescence and Young Adulthood in Association With Adult Cerebrovascular Disease: The NFBC1966 Study; Stroke; https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.045444