Workout to Ward Off Strokes
A new study indicates that physical fitness can reduce the risk of stroke
If you want to reduce your risk of a stroke, you might want to get a move on.
According to a recent study authored by Dr. Phyo Kyaw Myint at Cambridge University, older men and women in the top 25 percent of physical function capacity appeared 50 percent less likely to have a stroke when compared with adults in the lowest 25 percent of physical function. More than 13,600 British men and women aged 40 to 79 were involved in the study, which included a health examination and questionnaire. During the study, 244 strokes were recorded among the study’s participants.
And while the Cambridge study did not directly link increased physical activity to a drop in the risk for a stroke, research such as this helps bolster the belief that physical fitness can be an important indicator of stroke risk.
“Specifically, it showed that individuals in this study who were in the top 25 percentile of functional fitness were also those who were least likely to have a stroke,” says Dr. Steve Page, a board member of the National Stroke Association and associate professor at the University of Cincinnati Academic Medical Center. “I believe that this is probably a valid finding, especially given the size of the study. It has long been believed that physical fitness level predicts the incidence of heart disease and stroke.”
Page was careful to note that there were limitations to the study, including the fact that the authors “only showed that there is a correlation between high functional fitness levels and low incidence of stroke. It is plausible that other factors that were not accounted for may be predictive, or contribute to the authors’ findings.”
Dr. Larry Goldstein, professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and a spokesman for the American Stroke Association, also saw no reason to discount the Cambridge study, though he pointed out that “this is a study of physical fitness, not a study of physical activity or exercise. With that proviso, the study is consistent with others reflected in our current Primary Stroke Prevention Guidelines that increased levels of physical activity are associated with lower risk of stroke.”
According to the American Stroke Association, a stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen and nutrients to the brain either bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or some other mass. As a result, nerve cells in the affected parts of the brain do not receive oxygen then die. When the nerve cells fail to work, the part of the body they control cannot work, either.
If your doctor recommends exercise, Goldstein says there is some evidence that more intensive exercise is more advantageous, although the overall recommendation is 20-30 minutes of at least moderate activity – that’s anything from brisk walking and up -- most days of the week.
“By far, the most important type of exercise to deter stroke is aerobic exercise,” says Page. “Examples include biking, running, walking, and swimming.”
Physical fitness, Page says, may be important for stroke survivors, as well.
“Stroke patients, as a population, are chronically unfit,” Page says. “And, like other populations, some stroke survivors do not necessarily stop or manage the ‘bad’ behaviors that led to their strokes in the first place (e.g., smoking; eating fatty foods; not exercising). Given the low fitness levels that survivors exhibit as a population, and the bad behaviors that many continue to engage in, fitness seems to be an important factor in preventing a stroke in all age groups.”
In addition to exercise, Goldstein suggests a diet with three-to-six servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
“Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand tobacco smoke,” Goldstein adds. “Moderate alcohol consumption and have your blood pressure checked regularly.”
For more information, visit the website of the American Stroke Association (www.strokeassociation.org) or the National Stroke Association (www.stroke.org).
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