biostudies-literatureUnknown10(3)Schneider TR<h4>Introduction</h4>Sex differences in stroke incidence, vascular risk factors (VRFs), and etiologies among young adults remain underexplored, particularly regarding age-related patterns.<h4>Patients and methods</h4>We retrospectively analyzed young adults (18-55 years) with first-ever ischemic stroke treated at certified acute stroke units/centers between 2014 and 2022, using Swiss Stroke Registry data. Stroke rates (per 100,000 person-years), VRFs, and etiologies were assessed by age and sex.<h4>Results</h4>Among 3,995 stroke patients, stroke rates were similar between sexes until age 35, after which men showed a more pronounced exponential increase. This rise was particularly notable in patients with elevated BMI and ⩾2 VRFs. The proportion of patients with ⩾2 VRFs rose with age (18-35European stroke journal882-891https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11803591biostudies-literatureFirst ischemic stroke in young adults: Sex and age-related differences in stroke rates, risk factors, and etiologies.PMC11803591Arnold MBolognese MHumm AMHeldner MAlbert SDirren EDittrich TDKatan MKahles TNedeltchev KMedlin FTarnutzer AAPeters NBaumgartner MLuft ARBonati LHMordasini PBerger CCereda CWRenaud SSchneider TRMono MLSiebel PRodic BMichel PDe Marchis GMSturzenegger RVehoff JfalseFirst ischemic stroke in young adults: Sex and age-related differences in stroke rates, risk factors, and etiologies.<h4>Introduction</h4>Sex differences in stroke incidence, vascular risk factors (VRFs), and etiologies among young adults remain underexplored, particularly regarding age-related patterns.<h4>Patients and methods</h4>We retrospectively analyzed young adults (18-55 years) with first-ever ischemic stroke treated at certified acute stroke units/centers between 2014 and 2022, using Swiss Stroke Registry data. Stroke rates (per 100,000 person-years), VRFs, and etiologies were assessed by age and sex.<h4>Results</h4>Among 3,995 stroke patients, stroke rates were similar between sexes until age 35, after which men showed a more pronounced exponential increase. This rise was particularly notable in patients with elevated BMI and ⩾2 VRFs. The proportion of patients with ⩾2 VRFs rose with age (18-352025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Sep2026-06-02T00:14:31.757Z2025-04-05T09:40:40.252ZS-EPMC118035913991631710.1177/23969873251317347