Health chiefs today sounded the alarm over a startling rise in debilitating strokes among younger Brits.
Data shows more than 12,500 people in their 50s suffered the potentially fatal condition in 2023/24.
By comparison, the figure stood at just over 8,000 in 2004/2005, marking an increase of 55 percent in two decades.
The trend far outpaces the 28 percent rise across all ages over the same period.
Experts said the ‘alarming’ trends showed that the condition was not just a risk for the elderly, with the rise being fuelled by obesity, stress, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyles.
It also comes amid a concerning trend of increasing rates of some types of the cancers, specifically breast, lung and bowel among younger people.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, said: ‘These figures are shocking, and even more so given the causes of stroke are largely preventable, such as high blood pressure and a poor diet.
‘Prevention will always be better than cure. Not only because it means helping people to live well for longer, but also because a healthy workforce supports our growth mission too.’
Strokes affect more than 100,000 Britons annually — one every five minutes — claiming 38,000 lives.
This makes it the UK’s fourth biggest killer and a leading cause of disability.
Almost 800,000 people in the US are struck down each year, causing 137,000 deaths.
The problem occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. The damage can lead to long-term disability and affect how people think and feel.
The most common cause is fatty deposits or a blood clot blocking arteries supplying the brain — known as ischaemic stroke.
This happens due to cardiovascular disease, when blood vessels become narrowed or blocked over time by plaques.
These are made of cholesterol, calcium and other substances that build up in the artery walls in a process known as atherosclerosis.
The other — called hemorrhagic strokes — occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain and starts to leak its contents into the organ.
According to the fresh NHS England data, 12,533 Brits aged 50 to 59 had a stroke in 2023/24. It was 8,063 in 2004/05.
In total, there were 111,137 hospital admissions for strokes last year.
This was up 28 percent on two decades earlier when 87,069 were recorded.
Stroke numbers also rose by 42 percent among those aged 60 to 69 and 25 percent among 70-—to 79-year-olds.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said the figures show that strokes ‘are not just a risk for older people’ and that everyone should be aware of the symptoms.
