Walk away from a stroke

Women who are most active in their leisure time are 17 per cent less likely to have any type of stroke than those who were least active

Women who are most active in their leisure time are 17 per cent less likely to have any type of stroke than those who were least active says a new study published in the journal Stroke. The study compared women who walked regularly to those who didn’t walk.

It found that those who usually walked at a brisk pace were 37 per cent less likely to have any type of stroke and had a 68 per cent lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke.

Those who walked two or more hours a week had a 30 per cent lower risk of any type of stroke and a 57 per cent lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke.

Women who usually walked at a brisk pace were about 25 per cent less likely to suffer an ischemic stroke. “Physical activity, including regular walking, is an important modifiable behaviour for stroke prevention,” said lead author Jacob R. Sattelmair, a doctoral candidate at Harvard School of Public Health.

Adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity, aerobic activity, according to the American Heart Association.

NYT