Stroke is preventable, and physical
activity is a major modifiable risk factor for stroke.
New research findings suggest that
regularly breaking a sweat may lower the risk of having a stroke.
A stroke can occur when a blood
vessel in the brain gets blocked. As a result, nearby brain cells will die
after not getting enough oxygen and other nutrients. A number of risk factors
for stroke have been identified, including smoking, high blood pressure,
diabetes and being inactive.
The researchers reported data for
over 27,000 participants who were stroke-free at the start of the study and
followed for an average of 5.7 years. One-third of participants reported
exercising less than once a week. Study subjects who were inactive were 20
percent more likely to experience a stroke or TIA than participants who
exercised four or more times a week.
The findings revealed that regular,
moderately vigorous exercise, enough to break a sweat, was linked to reduced
risk of stroke. Part of the protective effect was due to lower rates of known
stroke risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and smoking.
“Physical inactivity is a major
modifiable risk factor for stroke. This should be emphasized in routine
physician check-ups along with general education about the benefits of exercise
on stroke risk factors including high blood pressure, diabetes and being
overweight or obese,” said Virginia Howard, Ph.D., senior author of the study
from the School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The study suggests that men should
consider exercising at least four times a week.
###
The
above story is based on the July 18, 2013 news release by the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The
findings are published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke:
McDonnell
M N, Hillier S L, Hooker S P, Le A, Howard V J. Physical Activity. Frequency and Risk of Incident Stroke in a National
US Study of Blacks and Whites. Stroke,
2013
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