Along with the heart attack, stroke or cerebral hemorrhage It is one of the leading causes of vascular mortality worldwide, with hypertension being the major risk factor associated with the disease. While it is true that most blows They occur after age 65, with 10% of cases occurring before age 45, as was the case with Kevin Hudson.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH), stroke occurs after a blockage of blood flow to the brain or a sudden bleed in the brain, usually in a population with various risk factors. Although this was not the case with Hudson, it was more exceptional.
As Hudson himself said: At 43, he led a healthy lifestyle.: He exercised daily, ate a balanced diet, had annual medical checkups, maintained a stable weight, and did not smoke or drink excessive amounts of alcohol. All of these factors are key to reducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks, although no one is completely immune from risk.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, A stroke can happen to anyone at any age.. It is known that they exist. certain factors that increase the said risksuch as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, having unhealthy lifestyle habits such as a diet high in saturated fat or ultra-processed foods, lack of physical activity, or consuming toxins such as tobacco or alcohol.
Hudson didn’t fit any of the more well-known factors. Yes, I had one, and it’s a fact that having family members who have had a strokeas was the case with his paternal grandfather, although his family always assumed that this event was due to a number of circumstances: his grandfather drank and smoked, was a veteran of the Great Patriotic War and had a hard life; in short, he did not lead a good life.
Hudson had been feeling fine in the weeks before his stroke. However, on January 11, 2023, he went to the gym as usual, but At 5:40 a.m. he noticed that something was wrong..
traditional signs of a possible strokeas the American Stroke Association and many other associations point out, include abbreviation FASTwhich in their English acronym means: drooping face, weakness in arms, difficulty speaking and time to call emergency services.
Other symptoms Less striking may include numbness of the face, arm, or leg (especially if it is on one side), confusion, blurred vision, difficulty walking, and severe headache with no apparent previous cause.
In Hudson’s case The first symptom was deterioration of vision.which he attributed to his morning workout. He sat down to rest, but when he did not feel better, he returned home. There, his wife, a nurse, performed a quick neurological examination, found no other signs that would warrant attention, and advised him to lie down and rest.
And indeed, the situation improved. After 20 minutes, his vision improved, but When he stood up, his right arm gave way and he ended up falling on his side.These symptoms were more severe and she called her wife to notify emergency services asking for help because she suspected she was having a stroke.
Hudson was treated by Shazam Hussein at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who diagnosed him with a stroke. a potentially fatal diagnosis if early symptoms are ignoredUntil a few years ago, the usual protocol in Spain was to transfer such patients to a first-level hospital within the first 3-4 hours of diagnosis; nowadays, this time frame has become 24 hours thanks to new and modern treatment methods, although the sooner the better.
In Hudson’s case, he had almost no symptoms for just a couple of days, except for weakness in his right arm, which completely went away. Now, almost two years later, he is completely asymptomatic, but it is still impossible to know why this happened to him. In Hudson’s case and in 10% of cases under the age of 45 Common causes include unknown brain malformations or genetic components.
But Hudson’s genetic tests were inconclusive.Hudson currently takes a low dose of aspirin daily, is under medical supervision and continues to exercise, albeit at a reduced intensity. As he explains, “I always thought that Exercising and eating a balanced diet is like putting money in a savings account.: You have something your body can turn to when it needs it. I still live like that. I think because I take care of myself, I was able to notice the symptoms early, get to the hospital quickly, and recover quickly. “I encourage everyone to pay attention to their body and get proper medical checkups.”