{"id":3663,"date":"2026-10-29T19:01:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T19:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/29\/one-in-4-nigerian-stroke-patients-under-50\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T19:01:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T19:01:01","slug":"one-in-4-nigerian-stroke-patients-under-50","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/29\/one-in-4-nigerian-stroke-patients-under-50\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018One in 4 Nigerian stroke patients under 50\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"'One<\/p>\n

One in four stroke cases in Nigeria affects people below 50, raising concerns about the disease\u2019s growing burden among young adults.<\/h4>\n

Prof. Kolawole Wahab, Head of the Stroke Unit at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), disclosed this on Thursday in Ilorin.<\/p>\n

He spoke on the sidelines of a medical rally commemorating the 2026 World Stroke Day, with the theme \u2018Every Minute Counts\u2019, which highlights the importance of prompt treatment.<\/p>\n

Wahab said research published in 2017 had documented the prevalence of stroke among younger Nigerians.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we talk about stroke in the young, we are talking about those who are below the age of 50.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne out of every four cases of stroke in Nigeria could be a case of stroke in the young. The prevalence is as high as 25 per cent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see people who are in their 40s, some in their 30s, coming down with stroke,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The neurologist described the stroke burden in the region as epidemic, adding that UITH\u2019s emergency department receives one or two stroke patients daily.<\/p>\n

He identified hypertension as Nigeria\u2019s leading stroke risk factor, warning that poor blood pressure control could increase the likelihood of the condition.<\/p>\n

According to him, up to nine out of every 10 stroke cases have hypertension as an underlying factor.<\/p>\n

Wahab expressed concern that some patients abandon prescribed medication in favour of unproven remedies, leaving their blood pressure uncontrolled.<\/p>\n

He also identified diabetes as another major risk factor, noting that some people remain unaware they have the condition.<\/p>\n

Others, he said, neglect proper diabetes management in spite of knowing their status.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is until they have suffered from stroke that they become aware they have diabetes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Wahab listed imbalances in blood fats among other risk factors, explaining that abnormal levels of good and bad fats could contribute to stroke.<\/p>\n

He warned against smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, hard drugs and sedentary lifestyles, urging Nigerians to adopt healthier habits.<\/p>\n

The expert also advised people to moderate their salt intake, particularly those diagnosed with hypertension.<\/p>\n

He cautioned against adding table salt to meals after preparation, stressing the importance of controlling blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Also speaking, Dr Wemimo Olaofin, a consultant neurologist at UITH, urged Nigerians to check their blood pressure regularly.<\/p>\n

Olaofin said stroke could occur suddenly at any time, but preventive measures and proper health management could reduce the risk.<\/p>\n

He encouraged the public to monitor their blood pressure and embrace healthier lifestyles to prevent the condition.<\/p>\n

Mrs Tejumola Olayinka, Deputy Director of Nursing in charge of UITH\u2019s Stroke Care Unit, said the commemoration aimed to promote awareness and early hospital presentation.<\/p>\n

\u201cStroke case is an emergency case that requires timely intervention. We can reduce the number of mortality and also reduce the number of people with stroke,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Olayinka described stroke as a sudden occurrence, \u201clike a slap\u201d, and highlighted facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech as warning signs.<\/p>\n

She urged people displaying these symptoms to be rushed to hospital immediately for medical attention.<\/p>\n

The nursing director also warned stroke patients against failing to take prescribed medication, noting that some patients did not adhere to treatment in spite of knowing their condition.<\/p>\n

As part of the commemoration, UITH organised an awareness rally across the hospital and medical outreach programmes at the teaching hospital and Kwara Government House.<\/p>\n

Two beneficiaries, Mr Jimoh Abdullateef and Mrs Fatima Abdulazeez, commended the medical team for providing free medical services and distributing drugs.<\/p>\n

Vanguard News<\/a><\/p>\n

The post \u2018One in 4 Nigerian stroke patients under 50\u2019<\/a> appeared first on Vanguard News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source: <\/p>\n

Vanguard News<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One in four stroke cases in Nigeria affects people below 50, raising concerns about the disease\u2019s growing burden among young adults. Prof. Kolawole Wahab, Head of the Stroke Unit at… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}