Danish researchers have been investigating whether physical inactivity – known to be a risk factor for stroke – also affects the rapidity with which people recover following a stroke.
The study, published findings in Neurology, reviewed the medical records of 265 people (average age 68) who had experienced a mild stroke. It found that the most active quartile (top 25%) were two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer a less severe stroke than the least active people. After two years, they were in better shape and more likely to have regained the ability to carry out everyday tasks. Even just taking an hourly walk four times a week can make a difference to the severity of the stroke, according to Gudrun Boysen, a neurologist at the Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen.
Source: Reuters, 22 October 2008.