The benefits of exercise have been widely demonstrated in numerous scientific studies, but it not only serves to keep you in good shape and prevent the onset of health problems, but also helps, for example, the recovery of patients who have overcome an illness. A new study has found that people who do activities such as walking, gardening, or cycling for several hours a week after a stroke can reduce their risk of all-cause mortality by up to 54%.
The research, which has been published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that the youngest stroke survivors benefited the most; Specifically, the risk of death was reduced by 80% in individuals under 75 years of age who walked or worked in the garden at least three to four hours a week, rode a bike two to three hours a week, or did a similar exercise for that amount of time.
The risk of death after a stroke was reduced by 80% in individuals under the age of 75 who walked or worked in the garden for at least three to four hours a week.
The greatest reduction in death rates among people who had survived a stroke was seen among those under 75 years of age; in that group 11% of those who did the minimum amount of exercise died, compared to 29% of those who did not, and they were also 80% less likely to die during the study follow-up, while those with more than 75-year-olds who also exercised for the time reported benefited, but were 32% less likely to die.
Dr. Raed A. Joundi of the University of Calgary, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and one of the study’s authors, said: “Our results suggest that spending minimal time in physical activity can reduce long-term mortality. for any cause in stroke survivors”, and added “we must place particular emphasis on younger stroke survivors, who are the ones who obtain the greatest benefits from walking as little as 30 minutes a day”.
Physical activity as therapy after stroke
The study analyzed data from 895 people with a mean age of 72 who had previously had a stroke, and 97,805 people with a mean age of 63 who had not had a stroke. Mean weekly physical activity was assessed with questions about how much they walked, ran, gardened, weight trained, cycled, and swam.
For example, they were asked, “In the last three months, how many times did you walk for exercise and for how long each time?” The researchers used the frequency and duration of each type of physical activity to calculate the total amount of exercise. The researchers followed the participants for an average of about four and a half years. After taking into account other factors that could affect the risk of death such as age and tobacco use, they found that 25% of people who had previously had a stroke died of any cause compared to 6% of those who died in the group that had not suffered an event of this type.
“A better understanding of the role of physical activity in the health of stroke survivors is needed to help these individuals live longer”
In the group of patients who had overcome a stroke, 15% of individuals who exercised at least the equivalent of three or four hours of walking per week died during follow-up, compared to 33% of those who did not exercise. minimum amount of exercise. In the group of those who had never had a stroke, 4% of those who exercised that amount of time died, compared to 8% of deaths among those who had not.
“A better understanding of the role of physical activity in the health of people who have survived a stroke is necessary to design better exercise therapies and public health campaigns, so that we can help these individuals to live longer”, has said Dr. Raed A. Joundi, concluding: “Our results are exciting because walking as little as three to four hours a week is associated with a large reduction in mortality, something that may be accessible to many citizens who have suffered a ictus. In addition, we found people who even achieved greater benefits by walking six or seven hours a week. These results may have implications for recommendations for stroke survivors in the future.”
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