Stroke, Cancer, High Blood Pressure: ‘Old People’ Diseases Are Hitting Young Black Women Hardest

Stroke, cancer, and high blood pressure have long been filed under mee-maw and paw-paw problems. New research says it’s time to rethink that, especially for young Black women.

According to CNN, a study published Sept. 23 in the journal Neurology found that stroke rates among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled over almost three decades, climbing from 33.9 cases per 100,000 people in 1993-94 to 62.2 per 100,000 in 2020. 

Of the 2,076 first-time strokes researchers tracked in the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky region, about 36% occurred in Black patients and nearly half in women. Hypertension among those patients rose from 47% to 60%. Senior author Dr. David Robinson told CNN that stroke is “particularly devastating when it happens to younger people.”

Stroke isn’t the only “old person’s” disease showing up early. Cancer rates are rising in adults under 55, and a Washington University study released this month offers a possible reason: people from more recent generations appear to be aging faster biologically than earlier generations did at the same age.

For Black women, the picture is more urgent across the board. Breast cancer rates among women under 40 are higher for Black women than white women, according to the American Cancer Society, and Black women under 50 die from the disease at twice the rate of white women their age.

The same pattern holds for heart and brain health. Black women are twice as likely as white women to have a stroke and 50% more likely to have high blood pressure. NBC News reports that preliminary research from Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study found that Black women who develop high blood pressure before age 35 may face triple the risk of stroke by middle age. Lead author Dr. Hugo Aparicio stressed that hypertension and stroke “are not diseases of the elderly.”

Stress plays a role, too. A separate study using the same data, released by Boston University, found that Black women who reported experiencing racism in employment, housing, and interactions with police had an estimated 38% higher risk of stroke.

Much of this risk can be caught early. Robinson points to the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8,” which includes eating well, staying active, avoiding tobacco, getting good sleep, and managing weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Just as important is a primary care doctor who checks those numbers and screens for cancer regularly.

The takeaway? Know your numbers, and don’t let anyone tell you you’re too young to advocate for your health.

SEE ALSO:

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Strokes Are More Common In Black Women Than Any Other Group