It has been shown that 3%–4% of all patients who experience
a stroke will experience a second stroke. The
cumulative 5-year recurrence rate among young adults
was 9.4% for nonfatal or fatal ischemic stroke, and these
individuals, despite their young age, were at increased risk
of recurrent arterial events, predicted by mostly modifiable
baseline risk factors.52 In a very recent study, Aarnio et al
analyzed long-term mortality in 970 consecutive young
and middle-aged stroke patients.53 The observed mortality
was seven-fold higher than the expected mortality, and was
particularly high among patients who experienced a recurrent
stroke. The authors concluded that there is a need for
more robust primary and secondary prevention of stroke
in young adults