A rise in strokes among younger adults can be attributed to several factors, including growing rates of obesity, barriers to health care and family history. But the biggest risk factor is hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension is also one of the easiest contributing factors to monitor and change.
First, we hear from 35-year-old Kristen McCutcheon, who's survived three strokes since 2022. An ice skating instructor, McCutcheon was on the ice when she sneezed, and immediately felt incredible pain in her neck. She thought it was just a migraine, but a few weeks later she discovered she unknowingly dissected both of her carotid arteries and her left vertebral artery, causing a stroke.
Then, we talk more about the associated factors of strokes and how we can monitor them with University of Iowa neurologist Dr. Hannah Roeder.
Later in the episode, Des Moines photographer Mark Lage has been photographing live music for over 40 years. An advocate for the local music scene, Lage recently published Iowa Musicianship, which includes thousands of photos he's captured from shows and festivals in the last five years.
Guests:
- Kristen McCutcheon, Davenport resident
- Dr. Hannah Roeder, neurologist and clinical assistant professor of neurology, UI Health Care
- Mark Lage, Des Moines-based photographer
