EXERCISE CUTS STROKE RISK IN WOMEN

EXERCISE CUTS STROKE RISK IN WOMEN

A number of factors raise the risk of having a stroke, including age, being male, family history of strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. Modifying lifestyle factors, such as reducing alcohol consumption, staying active and eating a balanced diet, may help reduce the risk of weight gain and, in turn, the risk factors associated with vascular diseases, such as strokes. While the association between exercise and strokes may not be firmly established, other research has provided a body of evidence supporting the wider health benefits of exercise.

Research study by Dr Jacob Sattelmair and colleagues from Harvard School of Public Health and other academic institutions in Boston, USA. published in the medical journal Stroke.

The study behind this report followed nearly 40,000 women for 12 years, looking at the association between their exercise habits and their risk of having a stroke. The findings of the study are difficult to interpret as they were only of borderline significance and the research has some shortcomings. The researchers say that their results are surprising, as vigorous exercise did not seem to be linked to reduced stroke risk.

This study shows a tendency for leisure-time physical activity to be associated with lower stroke risk in women. In particular, walking was generally associated with lower risks of total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke.

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Written by Dr Martin Harris, Doctor and Mohel for Jewish Circumcision Clinic in London Bris Mila Brit Milah.
www.circumcisionlondon.co.uk

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Contact Dr Martin Harris