India’s leading neurologists have raised alarm over a sharp rise in stroke cases among young adults, urging the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostics and early screening to curb the crisis.
At a forum marking World Stroke Day, specialists said India now records nearly 1.5 million stroke cases every year, yet only one in four people has access to a stroke-ready hospital. The findings, published in the International Journal of Stroke, reveal an urgent gap in emergency preparedness and prevention.
Dr MV Padma Srivastava, Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health and former head of Neurology at AIIMS, said that environmental and lifestyle factors, particularly stress, hypertension, and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are accelerating the onset of strokes among people in their thirties and forties.
“In cities like Delhi, where PM2.5 levels are often 10–15 times higher than WHO-recommended limits, individuals with hypertension, diabetes, or pre-existing heart disease face an even greater risk,” Dr Srivastava said. “Preventive screening and early diagnosis are more critical than ever. Reaching a stroke-ready centre within the ‘golden hour’ can dramatically improve recovery and outcomes.”
She added that advances in clot-busting drugs, mechanical thrombectomy, and AI-enabled imaging are revolutionising treatment outcomes, but success depends on awareness and integrated response systems.
Echoing her concerns, Dr Harsh Mahajan, founder and managing director of Mahajan Imaging and Labs, said strokes are increasingly striking younger, otherwise healthy adults, often linked to stress, poor sleep, and air pollution.
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“The key is to act before a stroke occurs, and that’s where AI-driven diagnostics and integrated lab-imaging models are making a real difference,” he said.
Dr Mahajan added that AI-powered imaging platforms now assist radiologists in identifying subtle clots and microbleeds that might otherwise be missed. “When advanced CT, MRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging are combined with AI models, interpretation time reduces and diagnostic accuracy improves,” he said.
He also recalled India’s pioneering contribution to medical AI, citing a 2018 Lancet paper by Qure.ai and Mahajan Imaging that introduced automated head CT scan analysis for haemorrhagic strokes, “a proud moment for Indian healthcare innovation,” he said.
Dr Shelly Mahajan, Lab Director at Mahajan Imaging and Labs, emphasised the value of integrating pathology with imaging.
“We can now deliver coagulation and biomarker results within 45 minutes, vital data that enables neurologists to decide on thrombolysis or surgery without delay,” she said.
Experts urged that stroke prevention must move from reactive treatment to proactive, AI-supported screening. Regular checks of blood pressure, cholesterol, and vascular stress markers such as homocysteine and C-reactive protein (CRP), they said, should become part of routine health care.
On World Stroke Day 2025, doctors reiterated that India’s stroke response must evolve into a data-led, prevention-oriented system powered by artificial intelligence, advanced pathology, and faster decision-making, capable of significantly reducing mortality and disability rates.
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