STROKE IN YOUNG ADULTS: AN ETIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Introduction: According to a Brazilian study of young adults, stroke mortality began to decline from the 1980s onwards (LOTUFO, 2000). However, in a study conducted by Cabral et al (2017), a 62% increase in the incidence rates of the disease was seen between the years 2005 and 2015. In addition, research carried out by Vaz et al. (2020) indicates that there has been an annual increase in stroke mortality over the last 10 years, considering the period from 2010 to 2020, with a higher number of deaths in 2019. Understanding the variable etiology of stroke in young adults in different regions of the world is important for the proper development of preventive and management strategies to reduce the global consequences of stroke in young people. Methodology: This study is an integrative systematic review of the literature, following the guidelines of the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses (PRISMA Statement)” methodology, based on the following guiding question: “What are the main etiological factors associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke in young adults?”. Results and discussion: A total of 55 articles were available from the database searches, and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 7 articles were selected for review and data collection for this study. The articles were published between 2012 to 2024 and preference was given to more recently published articles. The main etiologies associated with ischemic stroke in young adults, cited in most of the studies analyzed, were: cardioembolism, large vessel atherosclerosis, small vessel occlusion, non-atherosclerotic angiopathies and cryptogenic stroke.