BALTIMORE (WJZ) — New research finds a startling increase in the number of strokes among young adults, which might come as a surprise to many.

Researchers say it is not clear what is causing this troubling trend.

Researchers have studied this upward trend of strokes among millennials for almost a decade, and the fact that they don’t have all the answers is one of their biggest concerns.

Health and fitness seems to be a priority for many millennials. So when new research revealed more millennials in the U.S. are having strokes, this is the sort of reaction WJZ’s Ava-joye Burnett got.

“That’s pretty shocking to me,” said Janine Jasovsky. “I mean that’s something I’ve never heard.”

“I think it’s a wake up call for people to have good health habits, exercise, and diet,” said Justin Berk.

Scientific American recently analyzed a study from 2003 to 2012 and found it appears larger cities had bigger increases of strokes more than rural areas.

The age group affected ranged from 18 to 34 years old.

There was a 32 percent spike in strokes among millennial females, and a 15 percent jump among millennial men.

Researchers had no single definitive reason for this increase, but WJZ spoke with a local doctor who says this surge is preventable.

“Almost perfect storm of problems,” said Fr. Marc Leavey, with Mercy Medical Center. “Do you have obesity, eating too much, exercising too little, gaining weight, not being active, all of these factors can combine to produce a situation where the body just can’t deal with that.”

Dr. Leavey also says smoking could be part of the problem for millennials, but some people had their own theories.

They believe millennials have not been taught how to handle stress.

The research mentioned drug use may also be a factor in the increased number of strokes that have been recorded among those 18 to 34 year olds.

Dr. Leavey also says if you’ve already had a stroke, even a minor one, you’re most at-risk to have another one.

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