Shocked to Handle a Stroke Patient in his 20s, the Doctor Reveals the Cause!

Illustration of a woman in pain (istockphoto)

JAKARTA - Stroke is currently not only a disease in the elderly. Cases of stroke in young age groups, including in their 20s, are now increasing and making doctors surprised and worried at the same time.

Head of the Nueroendavascular Services Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute, Dr. Mohammad Anadani, recently treated two stroke patients in their early 20s. They are Ann Fulk, 24, and Aubrey Hasley, 23.

Both patients suffered sudden strokes, although they were considered healthy and did not have severe chronic diseases. According to Anadani, the stroke experienced by both of them is suspected to be embolic, that is, a blood clot from another part of the body to the brain.

"We have never had a patient this young," Anadani said, quoted by NYPost, on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

"Normally we don't think about stroke in a 20-year-old. Caring for them feels so much more stressful because they are still so young," he added.

One of the risk factors for stroke in them is the use of oral contraceptives, which are known to increase the risk of stroke. In Halsey's case, it was also found that the foramen ovale was patent, a small hole in the heart that allows blood clots to pass through the lungs and directly to the brain.

Regarding the increasing incidence of stroke at a young age, Anadani said the exact cause was not yet known. However, he assessed that the condition was likely related to increasing the classic risk factors for brain vascular disease.

"Hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity are now increasingly found in young people. In addition to lifestyle factors such as high stress, long working hours, and lack of physical activity," he explained.

In addition, excessive caffeine consumption is also suspected to play a role in causing strokes. Fulk admitted that he often consumed high-caffeine drinks due to job demands.

Although there is no direct evidence to directly link energy drinks with strokes, Anadani said several studies found a link with increased blood pressure and heart rhythm disorders. One of them is atrial fibrillation, a condition known to increase the risk of stroke.