Stroke is no longer a disease of old age. Across hospitals in India, doctors are reporting a worrying rise in stroke cases among people in their 30s and 40s, many of whom have no history of high blood pressure or diabetes. According to Dr Aparna Gupta, Neurologist at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, this sudden shift has more to do with how we live today than with our genes.
On World Stroke Day, Dr Gupta explains how chronic stress, long hours on screens, and sedentary habits are quietly damaging the brain’s blood vessels. These modern triggers, she says, are turning once-rare “brain attacks” into an everyday emergency for younger adults.
Video
Most people's perception of a stroke is an older individual and maybe someone with a long history of high blood pressure or diabetes. But I am noticing a disturbing trend, which is younger patients aged in their 30s and 40s, who are increasingly coming to the emergency department with a "brain attack."
What has changed? Our traditional risk factors of smoking, unhealthy diet, and high blood pressure remain relevant and remain bad for us. Now they are being perilously augmented by one of three probable contemporary trigger factors: chronic stress, more screen time, and a very sedentary lifestyle.
The Brain is in "Always On" High Alert Mode: Stress is Meant to Be a Physical Threat
In a world full of impossible deadlines, money worries and constant notifications, most of the world exists in the "fight or flight" state. This is not only a psychological sensation, but a physiological occurrence.
Chronic stress drenches your body with hormones such as cortisol that leads to increased blood pressure, inflammation, and even destruction of the lining of your blood vessels. Consider it to be a high-pressure steady gear of wear and tear on your internal pipes. With time, all these damages may create blockages or ruptures of the vessels supplying your brain. This is the definition of a stroke.
The Screen Chain: Screens Cause Sitting
Second is screen time. From the moment you wake up and reach for your phone, to the 8-10 hours on your work computer, and then later in the evening you watch a whole season of some new series, it all occurs on glowing rectangles.
The primary risk of too much time on screens is not just the blue light; it mostly binds us to a chair. Which leads us to trigger #3: a sedentary lifestyle. Our bodies did not design to be sitting around. After being seated for hours, blood tends to pool. When you sit, there is the added risk for blood clots, gaining weight, and metabolic dysfunction such as high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes, all of which are superhighways to a stroke.
Your Wake-Up Call: Act B.E. F.A.S.T.
First, it is essential that all should be aware of the warning signs of a stroke. Time is brain! It is minutes only! It is what can determine recovery or a permanent disability. Recall the acronym B.E. F.A.S.T.:
1. Balance: Loss of balance or coordination?
2. Eyes: Double or blurred vision?
3. Face: Is the face drooping on one side?
4. Arms: Can you lift both arms or does one fall?
5. Speech: Is speech slurred? Does it feel unusual?
6. Time: It is time to call emergency services now!
Small Steps with Big Effects for Restoring Your Health
The solution isn't quitting your job and living in the woods. The solution is having a few modifications that are thoughtful and intentional as part of your contemporary life.
1. Move More: Take a 5 minute walking break for each hour of sitting. Take the stairs. Do some simple stretches at your workspace.
2. Manage Stress: Experiment with some brief, even just 2 minutes of, mindfulness practices. Deep breathing exercises can reduce the body's stress response pretty fast.
3. Digital Detox: Set a firm, "no screen" time at least 1 hour prior to bed. This will enhance your sleep, which is very important for vascular health.
4. Know Your Numbers: This is non-negotiable. Comfortable regular check-ups on our blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
On this World Stroke Day, we acknowledge that our daily habits are medicine. Or, slow poison. You choose.
On World Stroke Day, Dr Gupta explains how chronic stress, long hours on screens, and sedentary habits are quietly damaging the brain’s blood vessels. These modern triggers, she says, are turning once-rare “brain attacks” into an everyday emergency for younger adults.
Video
Most people's perception of a stroke is an older individual and maybe someone with a long history of high blood pressure or diabetes. But I am noticing a disturbing trend, which is younger patients aged in their 30s and 40s, who are increasingly coming to the emergency department with a "brain attack."
What has changed? Our traditional risk factors of smoking, unhealthy diet, and high blood pressure remain relevant and remain bad for us. Now they are being perilously augmented by one of three probable contemporary trigger factors: chronic stress, more screen time, and a very sedentary lifestyle.
The Brain is in "Always On" High Alert Mode: Stress is Meant to Be a Physical Threat
In a world full of impossible deadlines, money worries and constant notifications, most of the world exists in the "fight or flight" state. This is not only a psychological sensation, but a physiological occurrence.
Chronic stress drenches your body with hormones such as cortisol that leads to increased blood pressure, inflammation, and even destruction of the lining of your blood vessels. Consider it to be a high-pressure steady gear of wear and tear on your internal pipes. With time, all these damages may create blockages or ruptures of the vessels supplying your brain. This is the definition of a stroke.
The Screen Chain: Screens Cause Sitting
Second is screen time. From the moment you wake up and reach for your phone, to the 8-10 hours on your work computer, and then later in the evening you watch a whole season of some new series, it all occurs on glowing rectangles.
The primary risk of too much time on screens is not just the blue light; it mostly binds us to a chair. Which leads us to trigger #3: a sedentary lifestyle. Our bodies did not design to be sitting around. After being seated for hours, blood tends to pool. When you sit, there is the added risk for blood clots, gaining weight, and metabolic dysfunction such as high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes, all of which are superhighways to a stroke.
Your Wake-Up Call: Act B.E. F.A.S.T.
First, it is essential that all should be aware of the warning signs of a stroke. Time is brain! It is minutes only! It is what can determine recovery or a permanent disability. Recall the acronym B.E. F.A.S.T.:
1. Balance: Loss of balance or coordination?
2. Eyes: Double or blurred vision?
3. Face: Is the face drooping on one side?
4. Arms: Can you lift both arms or does one fall?
5. Speech: Is speech slurred? Does it feel unusual?
6. Time: It is time to call emergency services now!
Small Steps with Big Effects for Restoring Your Health
The solution isn't quitting your job and living in the woods. The solution is having a few modifications that are thoughtful and intentional as part of your contemporary life.
1. Move More: Take a 5 minute walking break for each hour of sitting. Take the stairs. Do some simple stretches at your workspace.
2. Manage Stress: Experiment with some brief, even just 2 minutes of, mindfulness practices. Deep breathing exercises can reduce the body's stress response pretty fast.
3. Digital Detox: Set a firm, "no screen" time at least 1 hour prior to bed. This will enhance your sleep, which is very important for vascular health.
4. Know Your Numbers: This is non-negotiable. Comfortable regular check-ups on our blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
On this World Stroke Day, we acknowledge that our daily habits are medicine. Or, slow poison. You choose.
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