Recent research shows that the overall stroke rate for Americans is on the decline. A recent study has revealed a peculiar anomaly in the stroke rate. Among Americans who are under the age of 55, the stroke rate has actually risen in recent years, according to Live Science.

CDC: Strokes Are A Common Cause Of Disability

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 800, 000 people suffer strokes each year – the vast majority being first-time events. Some individuals recover well after suffering a stroke. Unfortunately, any stroke – even a first-time stroke — can be permanently disabling. In fact, the CDC says that strokes are the number one cause of long-term disability.

The recent study suggests that much more research is needed to understand why strokes are affecting people at younger ages than ever before. The lead researcher and author of the study, Dr. Chengwei Li, from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, says that several other risk factors that have been linked to strokes also increased during the same time period as the brain study.

Among the risk factors identified on the study are high blood pressure, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. However, the epidemiologist says that those risk factors were not fully studied in the research and cautions that they are only identified as being associated.

Workers who can no longer continue to work after a suffering a stroke may qualify for Social Security Disability insurance benefits. SSDI benefits are available when a disabling impairment is expected to last at least one year. SSDI serves as an important safety net for people who have toiled for years to make a living and become disabled due to a physical or mental impairment that takes them out of the workforce. The disabling condition does not have to be work-related.