Study: Rate of drug-using stroke patients spikes

By Staff Writer

Although strokes among teenagers and young adults are rare, they do occur. The most notable case in recent history was Sheryl Wolfe, a teen beauty pageant champion from Hawaii who died from a stroke last spring.

According to the New York Daily News, health experts say that a variety of factors can lead to a teen stroke, such as a severe sports injury or an autoimmune disease.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati recently found that drug use among stroke patients has skyrocketed over the past two decades. The findings were presented at the International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles on February 9.

The study examined stroke patients' medical charts in three one-year periods: 1994, 1999 and 2005. They found that street drug use among these individuals rose by 900 percent from 1994 to 2005, from 0.5 percent to 4.6 percent.

Problem teens who abuse drugs after suffering a stroke should be informed that recreational drug use and alcohol consumption can increase their chances of having another stroke.

Teenagers who abuse drugs may benefit from boarding schools, which may provide the support that adolescents need to develop positive behaviors.