Increases in BMI during childhood and above-average BMI in childhood was associated with the age a person had an ischemic stroke, according to findings recently published in JAMA Neurology.

“Studies investigating the associations between childhood BMI and adult ischemic stroke have shown inconsistent results,” Line K. Gjaerde, MD, of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research in Denmark and colleagues wrote. “Because the prevalence of childhood obesity is high in many countries, it is important to clarify the association between childhood BMI and risk of adult ischemic stroke, especially at younger adult ages, to justify earlier targeted prevention.”