A recent research has shown that one of the most common causes of sudden death among young people is heart-related. Researchers found this to be particularly worrying because cardiovascular conditions are often associated with old age, certain poor lifestyle choices like smoking. Apart from suicide and accidents, here are some causes of sudden death among people seemed young and healthy.
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Poisoning/ overdose
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says most unintentional deaths among people between 20 and 24 years result from poisoning related to drugs. This suggests that young people are at a high risk of sudden death due to drug overdose. These drugs include opioids, narcotics and fentanyl. According to the CDC:
Deaths involving synthetic opioids (largely illicitly made fentanyl) and stimulants (such as cocaine and methamphetamine) have increased in recent years. In addition, overdose deaths accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brain accidents
Some young people also die from stroke, medically known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Healthline explains that this occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is stopped either by a blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel.
According to Eat This Not That (ETNT) Health, a person at risk of a ruptured aneurysm may show no symptoms while others may present with headaches, mental issues or other neurologic symptoms.
Pulmonary Embolism
According to the American Heart Association, this condition is the third-leading cause of cardiovascular death. What makes it dangerous is that people are much less aware of its symptoms. Dr. Karlyn Martin, an assistant professor of medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago said:
Unfortunately, PE can strike people at all stages of life, from the young and healthy to the older and not as healthy.
Described as a blood clot that travels to the lungs, pulmonary embolism often prevents as difficulty breathing, fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, anxiety, coughing up blood, lightheadedness or fainting, ETNT writes. However, not everyone shows these symptoms; death is the only symptom in about a quarter of cases, the article concluded.
Sources used:
American Heart Association: Pulmonary embolism is common and can be deadly, but few know the signs
CDC: Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths
ETNT: 5 Common Causes of Sudden Death and How to Protect Yourself
Healthline: Cerebrovascular Accident
