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Any Level of Leisure-Time Physical Activity Aids in Stroke Prevention
Any amount of leisure-time physical activity helps to lower the risk of stroke compared with inactivity, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
“People should be encouraged to be physically active even at the lowest levels,” advised corresponding author Raffaele Ornello, MD, of the University of L'Aquila in Italy, and study coauthors.
The meta-analysis included 15 prospective studies involving 16 cohorts and a total 752,050 adult participants who were followed for an average 10.5 years. The studies assessed the potential impact of between three (none, below target, and ideal) and five (none, insufficient, low, moderate, and intense) levels of leisure-time physical activity on the risk of stroke.
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In five studies that grouped leisure-time physical activity into three levels, the highest amount reduced the risk of stroke by 29% compared with no activity. However, below-target activity also reduced the risk of stroke, according to the meta-analysis, by 18%.
Meanwhile, meta-analysis of six studies reporting on four levels of leisure-time physical activity found a moderate level of physical activity reduced stroke risk by 27%. Two studies reporting on five levels of activity demonstrated moderate activity reduced stroke risk by 29%.
The benefits of leisure-time physical activity were independent of sex and age, researchers reported.
“According to our results, all levels of leisure-time physical activity can be beneficial for stroke prevention, including levels currently regarded as low or insufficient,” the authors concluded.
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