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| TOPIC OF THE MONTH Every month, Dr. Paul addresses a specific topic related to health and fitness. Exercise and Stroke By Dr. Paul Kennedy May 01, 2008 Exercise and Stroke May 2008 Heart disease and coronary artery disease are similar conditions in that they are generally caused by a blockage of blood vessels. With a heart attack, the blockage is to the blood supply to the heart. A blockage of an artery (or arteries) to the brain is known as a stroke or a cerebrovascular accident (CVD). Even thought the heart may be pumping blood in sufficient quantities, not enough blood is reaching the brain cells due to the blockage and the oxygen starved brain cells begin to die within minutes. “Hardening” of the arteries (the loss of the elasticity characteristic of healthy blood vessels) can also contribute to stroke risk. Either as a result of blockage or lack of elasticity, a stroke causes brain cell death. More than 750,000 people in the United States suffer some form of stroke every year and about 150,000 people every year die from stroke making it the third biggest killer of Americans. In addition, it has become the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. So what do we do? Well, aside from healthier eating plans that can greatly reduce cholesterol levels in the blood (a contributing factor to stroke incidence), regular exercise can lead the way to a significantly lower risk of stroke. And new information indicates that the level of exercise necessary to reduce stroke risk is similar for both men and women. Data from a study recently completed at the University of South Carolina has shown that even moderate levels of exercise can reduce stroke risk. This longitudinal study covered a time period of over THIRTY-FIVE years and included over 60,000 subjects of which over 15,000 were women. The data collected for the women were particularly salient in that women are more likely to die of stroke than men. The participants were measured for “baseline” values in order to accurately determine their original level of fitness at the beginning of the study. Not surprisingly—at least to me—was that walking briskly five times per week for thirty minutes or jogging for thirty minutes about three times per week significantly reduced the risk of stroke. Even fitness levels that improved at “moderate” rates were found to be of significant value in terms of reduced stroke risk. In a related analysis, the reduction in stroke risk related to exercise was nearly the same for men AND women and maximum benefit was achieved for both groups with five days per week of the moderately intense activity described above. For example, men in the highest quarter of fitness levels reduced their risk of stroke by about 40% and women showing similar sustained improvement reduced their risk by about 43%. The walk away message regarding this study was that even somewhat moderate levels of exercise, sustained over time, was sufficient enough to reduce stroke risk in a big way. Of course, part of the success was likely due to reduced resting heart rate, improved circulation, lower serum cholesterol and the more “supple” arterial response that assists in improving blood circulation and, therefore, the delivery of oxygen to the cells for the production of energy and cell repair. In other words, the same things that help produce a healthy heart will also help to prevent stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. This is why the results of this study, as solid as they are, should not be as surprising as they seem. For example, some of the known modifiable risk factors for stroke include diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. ALL of these conditions can be improved dramatically by regular exercise. Some other factors in reducing risk of stroke include simple dietary changes such as decreasing sodium intake (especially hidden sodium in many processed and/or canned foods) and (just as importantly in my view) increasing potassium intake. See your doctor before beginning any fitness program—especially if you have been sedentary for an extended period of time or are suffer from any symptoms related to cardiovascular disease—but don’t hesitate to make even a moderately intense exercise program a regular part of your lifestyle. The effort is comparatively minimal while the return is great with respect to stroke prevention and improvements in general health and fitness. So what are you waiting for? I’m Dr. Paul Kennedy and that’s the “Be Fit, Stay Fit” Topic of the Month. Good luck with YOUR program. I KNOW you can do it! Copyright © 2003-2007 by Dr. Paul Kennedy. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without expressed written consent of Dr. Paul Kennedy |
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