By Ibrahim Salaudeen, Lagos
Health experts have raised concerns over the growing incidence of stroke among young and middle-aged Nigerians, warning that the condition is increasingly affecting people in their 30s, 40s and early 50s.
The experts expressed the concern on Tuesday during the 2026 World Physiotherapy awareness walk organised by the management and staff of Gbagada General Hospital in Lagos State.
The 2026 World Physiotherapy Day celebration is themed “Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease,” with the sub-theme “Role of Physiotherapy in Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease.”
The awareness walk formed part of a week-long programme organised by the hospital to promote physical activity, healthy living and greater public understanding of the role of physiotherapy in preventing and managing stroke and cardiovascular diseases.
Speaking on the programme, the Medical Director of Gbagada General Hospital, Dr Saliu Olugbenga Oseni, said the initiative was designed to encourage staff and members of the public to adopt healthier lifestyles while drawing attention to the growing burden of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.
He said the awareness campaign provided an opportunity to emphasise the importance of regular physical activity and preventive healthcare, particularly as lifestyle-related health conditions continue to affect Nigerians of working age.
The Head of the Physiotherapy Department at the hospital, Hazmat Azeez Adebiyi, expressed particular concern over the changing age profile of stroke patients being referred for physiotherapy.
According to him, physiotherapists who previously treated stroke survivors predominantly in their 60s, 70s and 80s are increasingly attending to patients in their 30s, 40s and early 50s.
He described the development as disturbing and urged Nigerians, particularly younger adults, to abandon the assumption that being young automatically means they are healthy.
Adebiyi advised people to undergo regular medical checks even when they feel well, stressing that some of the major risk factors for stroke can remain undetected until a serious health event occurs.
Another senior management staff member in the department, Oseni Kolawole, identified undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes, unhealthy lifestyles, workplace pressure, poor diet and inadequate medical screening as factors contributing to the growing risk of stroke among working-age Nigerians.
“Decades ago, when patients were referred for physiotherapy, they were always over 60, 70 or 80. But now, we see people in their mid-30s, 40s, 46 years and early 50s coming down with stroke,” he said.
Kolawole’s observation highlights the changing pattern of stroke in Nigeria, with younger adults increasingly presenting with a condition traditionally associated with older people.
An Assistant Director in the Physiotherapy Department, Toyin Bash Odutola, also called for a stronger culture of preventive healthcare among Nigerians.
She urged people to make regular monitoring of their blood pressure, blood sugar and other key health indicators part of their routine healthcare practices.
Odutola further encouraged Nigerians to engage in regular physical activity, maintain healthier diets, get adequate rest and seek medical attention early when health concerns arise.
She stressed that early detection and intervention could play an important role in reducing the risk of serious complications.
Odutola, alongside another Chief Physiotherapist in the department, Ilara Folarin, also highlighted the critical role of physiotherapy in stroke rehabilitation.
They explained that physiotherapy can help stroke survivors work towards regaining movement, muscle strength, balance, coordination and independence, depending on the nature and severity of the impairment.
The experts therefore called for greater public awareness of stroke risk factors and the importance of prevention, early medical intervention and rehabilitation.
They urged Nigerians not to wait until symptoms become severe before seeking medical care, stressing that regular health checks, physical activity and healthier lifestyle choices are essential to reducing the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
