A recent study appearing in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke suggests that recreational physical activity (PA) of moderate intensity may reduce stroke in women. Researchers note that during the European-based study, they sought to assess the risk of cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs) according to PA levels in adults. The study reportedly encompassed 13,576 men and 19,416 women aged 29 years to 69 years old, recruited between the years of 1992 and 1996, and followed-up by researchers until 2006 to determine the incident of CVD evens.
Researchers used the validated European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition PA questionnaire to assess metabolic equivalent by hours per week dedicated to various types of PA. The researchers add that extensive baseline data was collected on diet, lifestyle habits, medical history, and anthropometry were available to adjust for.
The results indicate that a total of 210 transient ischemic attacks and 442 stroke cases were registered following 12.3 years of mean follow-up. The results also suggest that recreational activity was inversely linked to the risk of CVD in women, but not in men. Researchers explain that women walking more than or equal to 3.5 hours per week exhibited a lower risk of stroke than individuals who did not engage in regular walking. Researchers add that they discovered no significant links between other leisure time activities or vigorous PA with CVD in either sex.
The researchers ultimately concluded that increasing time dedicated to activities such as walking may assist in reducing stroke risk in women. Source: Stroke
