Exercise and stroke

NEW YORK, June 15 (Praxis Press) Increased physical activity is associated with reduction in risk of coronary heart disease. The role of physical activity in the prevention of stroke, however, is less well established. To examine the association between physical activity and risk of total stroke and stroke subtypes in women, investigators examined 72,488 women aged 40 to 65 years without cardiovascular disease or cancer at the beginning of the study in 1986. The women completed detailed physical activity questionnaires in 1986, 1988, and 1992. Hu and colleagues found that increasing physical activity was strongly inversely associated with risk of total stroke. Physical activity, including moderate-intensity exercise such as walking, is associated with substantial reduction in risk of total and ischemic stroke in a dose-response manner.