AUTHOR=Tang Mingyu , Han Guangsong , Yao Ming , Peng Bin , Zhu Yicheng , Zhou Lixin , Ni Jun 

TITLE=Risk Factors of Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults: A Chinese Single-Center Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.874770

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2022.874770

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Introduction
The etiology and risk factor profile of ischemic stroke in young adults are different from those in older patients. However, current etiological classifications are more applicable for the elderly, posing a challenge to diagnosis of young ischemic stroke. In this study, we applied a risk factor categorization used in International Pediatric Stroke Study (IPSS) to describe the risk factor profile of Chinses young ischemic stroke patients. 
Methods
This is a single-center retrospective study. Patients aged 18-50 years with a first-ever ischemic stroke admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2013 and 2020 were consecutively included. Patients’ risk factors were collected and divided into 10 categories according to the modified IPSS criteria and the sex and age differences were explored.
Results
A total of 538 patients were enrolled in this study. The median age was 39 years and 62.6% were male. At least one IPSS risk factor category was identified in 93.3% of all patients. The most common IPSS subtype was atherosclerosis-related risk factors (61.7%), followed by prothrombotic states (27.3%), chronic systemic conditions (24.7%), arteriopathy (16.2%) and cardiac disorders (10.4%). Chronic systemic conditions were more prevalent in patients aged <35 years (34.0% vs. 19.6%, p<0.05) and females (43.3% vs. 13.6%, P<0.0001). Atherosclerosis-related risk factors were more dominant in patients aged ≥35 years (72.6% vs. 41.9%, P<0.0001) and males (77.2% vs. 35.8%, P<0.0001).
Conclusions
The IPSS classification might be a potential tool to better identify the risk factors of ischemic stroke in young adults.