The No. 1 Killer Leading to Strokes Among Young People — Staying Up Late

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released data showing that from 2011 to 2022, the incidence of strokes in the United States increased by 7.8 percent. Notably, the rise was more significant among people aged 18 to 64, with a 14.6 percent increase in the 18 to 44 age group and a 15.7 percent increase in the 45 to 64 age group. This indicates a trend of strokes occurring at younger ages. Experts believe this may be closely related to work pressure and lifestyle habits.

So, what exactly is a stroke? There are two types of strokes: one caused by a blocked blood vessel, known as an ischemic stroke, and one caused by a ruptured blood vessel, known as a hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic strokes account for about 87 percent of all strokes.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the symptoms of cerebral thrombosis or cerebral hemorrhage are collectively referred to as “stroke.” TCM focuses on the energy aspect of diseases, where “wind” is a type of energy characterized by its ability to move and change frequently, manifesting in sudden and varied symptoms. Strokes primarily refer to issues in the nervous and mental systems, such as sudden facial paralysis, hemiplegia, or convulsions, with symptoms usually related to motor and sensory functions.

Early signs of stroke

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 30 percent of American adults under 45 are unaware of the most common early symptoms of a stroke. Recognizing early signs and risk factors can help prevent severe consequences. When a sudden symptom appears, one should consider the possibility of a stroke. Some early signs of a stroke include:

1. Headache and dizziness: A sudden, unprecedented headache, dizziness, or loss of balance could be early signs of a stroke.
2. Visual problems: Sudden blurred vision, seeing double, seeing stars, black spots, or missing parts of the visual field could be early stroke symptoms.
3. Facial paralysis: Facial nerve paralysis, or facial palsy, usually presents as drooping on one side of the face. It could be due to peripheral facial nerve issues or central brain problems.
4. Limb numbness and weakness: Similar to facial paralysis, it occurs in the arms and legs, depending on which part of the brain is affected.
5. Speech impairment: Sudden inability to speak, find words, or understand others.

Staying up late: A significant factor in young people’s strokes

Why are young people more prone to strokes nowadays? This is related to their work pressure and lifestyle habits, such as smoking, drinking, eating junk food, and especially staying up late. Some people think staying up late doesn’t significantly impact health, but it is the most severe issue among these bad habits and is closely related to strokes in young people.

1. Increased blood pressure: Staying up late can lead to elevated blood pressure. The body’s cortisol levels fluctuate within 24 hours. Cortisol secretion increases when you stay up late and don’t rest when your body needs it. Excessive cortisol can cause the sympathetic nervous system to over-excitation, leading to elevated blood pressure and a faster heartbeat.
2. Weakened immune function: Staying up late weakens the immune system, making one more susceptible to infections and chronic inflammation, which can damage the vascular endothelium. This damage can lead to the accumulation of various clotting factors, fibers, cholesterol, and cells in the vascular endothelium, causing blockages.

A 2021 retrospective study showed that inflammation caused by sleep deprivation increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, starting from atherosclerotic lesions to thrombus deposition, which are significant causes of heart attacks or strokes. Although the mechanisms by which sleep deprivation harms the cardiovascular system are not fully understood, existing research has confirmed that diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, and coronary artery sclerosis are all related to sleep deprivation.

A 2023 Yale University study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that middle-aged people who sleep less than 7 hours or more than 9 hours daily have lower brain health indicators. Those with shorter sleep durations are more likely to have white matter lesions in the brain, indicating brain aging and small vessel disease, making them more prone to strokes or dementia.

Additionally, staying up late increases the clotting activity. Clotting factors are generally activated when the body is injured and bleeding to stop the bleeding as a self-protection mechanism. However, when sleep-deprived, blood coagulates too quickly, making it easier to form blood clots. Therefore, staying up late is very detrimental to health.

Balancing work and health to reduce stroke risk

According to the latest statistics from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than half of men and 43 percent of women over 20 in the United States have hypertension, and over 71 percent of American adults are overweight or obese.

One reason is that young people face significant work pressure and often must stay up late. However, remember that work efficiency and results are directly related to your tools. Here, “tools” refer not to your computer or various applications, but to your body and brain, which we must prioritize. How can we balance work and health?

First, prioritize self-care. While working overtime, avoid certain things, such as drinking too much coffee, eating many processed foods, consuming too much sugar, and smoking heavily.

Additionally, when you want to relax after completing work tasks, avoid further harming your body by drinking with friends. If you do this, you will become obese, develop hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia, and eventually suffer a stroke at a young age.

Young people are advised to choose healthy ways to cope with stress, such as getting enough sleep, maintaining a balanced diet, increasing nutrient intake, finding time to exercise, and using meditation to relax.

Five healthy habits to prevent stroke

A healthy lifestyle can not only prevent strokes but also extend life. A Harvard University study of over 120,000 Americans over 30 years found that the more healthy habits people have, the longer they live. For 50-year-old Americans, having all five healthy habits can extend life by 14 years for women and 12 years for men and reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by over 80 percent.

These five habits are:

1. Not smoking: Smoking can significantly increase the chance of stroke by damaging blood vessels, triggering plaque or clot formation, or weakening blood vessels. 
2. Healthy weight: Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.
3. Regular exercise: At least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily.
4. Moderate alcohol consumption: 5 to 15 grams of alcohol per day for women and 5 to 30 grams for men. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, equivalent to 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
5. Healthy diet: Eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and unsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, and reduce intake of red meat, processed meats, sugary drinks, trans fats, and sodium.

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