Donald Glover’s Stroke Highlights a Troubling Trend for Young People

Donald Glover, the 42-year-old musician and actor, recently revealed that he had a stroke while touring in 2024. Although strokes are rare among young adults, Glover is one of a growing number of people who suffer from them. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a 2024 report that the prevalence of stroke has increased nearly 15% among people ages 18 to 44 over the past decade.

“We’re definitely seeing more and more young people having strokes,” says Dr. Joshua Willey, a stroke neurologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (which did not treat Glover). “But they often arrive late at the hospital because the last thing they worry about is having a stroke.”

Here’s what you need to know about Glover’s health incident and the growing risk of stroke among young people.

What happened to Donald Glover?

Glover, whose stage name is Childish Gambino, shared details about the stroke he suffered during a Nov. 22 performance at the Los Angeles music festival, Camp Flog Gnaw. The five-time Grammy winner told the crowd he felt “a really bad pain in his head” while touring last year, but still performed a concert in New Orleans. Glover said he “wasn’t really seeing well,” so when he got to the next stop on the tour, he went to get evaluated at a hospital. “The doctor told me, ‘You had a stroke,'” Glover said, according to videos posted on social media.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, here I am always copying Jamie Foxx,'” Glover joked, referring to the stroke that Foxx, a fellow actor and musician, suffered in 2023. Foxx was 55 at the time.

He also told fans that doctors found a “hole” in his heart and that he underwent two surgeries. He did not provide further medical details.

Willey, a Presbyterian neurologist in New York, says a known cause of stroke in young people is a heart defect known as patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart. This hole usually closes shortly after birth, but in about 1 in 4 people it may remain open. PFOs usually do not cause complications, but can contribute to strokes and low blood oxygen levels in some people. Some people may need surgery to seal the hole.

Glover did not say whether he had a PFO. His agent did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked (called an ischemic stroke) or burst (called a hemorrhagic stroke). When blood flow to the brain is disrupted, brain cells begin to die within minutes.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA), or “mini-stroke,” is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. TIAs can be a warning sign of a future stroke.

What are the causes of strokes and why are more and more young people suffering from them?

Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and more and more adults of all ages are suffering from them.

The CDC said in its 2024 report, which compared data from two periods, 2011-2013 and 2020-2022, that the prevalence of stroke increased by almost 8% nationally. But among people aged 18 to 44, the prevalence of stroke increased by almost 15%, and among people aged 45 to 64, it increased by almost 16%. (Having a stroke young is still relatively rare, affecting only about 1% of people aged 18 to 44 in 2020-2022.)

The biggest risk factor for any type of stroke is hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, says Willey. “Other risk factors include diet, physical inactivity, smoking and use of stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines,” he says.

Obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol are other significant risk factors, according to the CDC.

PFOs and other underlying conditions, including bleeding disorders and certain autoimmune diseases, can increase the risk of stroke in young people, says Willey. But the sharp increase in recent years in the number of young adults with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity is likely behind the growing number of people in their 50s and younger who are suffering strokes, he says.

Nearly 24% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 39 had high blood pressure, according to a CDC report on 2021-2023 data.

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“In the past, a risk factor like hypertension only developed when people were in their 30s or 40s, so we wouldn’t see an event like a stroke until a little bit downstream, when people were in their 60s or 70s,” says Dr. Adam Kelly, professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. But today, hypertension is diagnosed at a higher rate among young people, especially children and adolescents. “It’s concerning that this whole timeline is being shifted earlier and earlier,” Kelly says.

Kelly says it’s possible that some of the increase in stroke prevalence among young people can be attributed to better diagnoses of the disease, thanks to improved MRI technology and greater public awareness of stroke and stroke risks. “But I don’t think that explains all the data,” he says.

How to prevent strokes and what symptoms should you watch out for?

The American Heart Association has compiled a list of eight essential steps everyone should take to optimize their cardiovascular health, which would help reduce the risk of stroke. These steps are: eat better, be more physically active, stop smoking, sleep well, manage your weight, control your cholesterol levels, and manage your blood sugar and blood pressure.

“I don’t think it’s too early to think about stroke prevention,” says Kelly.

As for the symptoms of a stroke, Kelly advises keeping the acronym BE FAST in mind.

B for balance: Sudden loss of balance or lack of coordination.

E for the eyes: Sudden changes in vision in one or both eyes.

F for the face: sagging or numbness on one side of the face.

A for the arm: Weakness or numbness in one arm.

S for speech: speech problems or difficulty speaking

T for time: time is running out. If any of these symptoms are present, especially if they appear suddenly, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately. The sooner a stroke is diagnosed and treated, the higher the chance of a good outcome.

A sudden, severe headache can also be a symptom of a stroke. “Many patients may have more than one of these symptoms, but the presence of just one of these symptoms can be strongly predictive of a stroke, and they should get to the hospital as quickly as possible,” says Willey.