Fit Fights Stroke Risk Moderate, consistent exercise can significantly lower your risk of stroke.
A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that people who are even moderately fit have a considerably lower risk of stroke than inactive people. In the study, researchers looked at data on 16,878 men aged 40 to 87 with no previous history of heart attack or stroke. The researchers classified the men as high-, medium- or low fitness based on results of a treadmill test. During an average of 10 years of follow up, 32 of the men died of strokes. The researchers determined that men in the highest fitness group had a 68 percent lower risk of stroke death than the least fit men. Men who were just moderately fit — the equivalent of walking for 30 minutes on most days of the week — had a 63 percent lower risk, The Associated Press reports. While the relatively small number of stroke deaths in the study limited the researcher’s ability to draw conclusions, they say their findings suggest a connection between exercise and stroke risk, even it they don’t prove it, the AP says. Several previous studies have shown a link between improved fitness and a lower risk of dying from heart disease.
Intelli Health for May 12-18 2002
