Stroke is a medical condition that is well known to have modifiable risk factors. This means that people don’t have to be victims of it when they empower themselves to change their lifestyle. One of these such lifestyle factors is exercise and physical activity.
Published in JAMA Open Network, researchers found that by just increasing the amount of moderate activity levels per days significantly lowered older peoples’ stroke risk.
For this study, researchers looked at a cohort data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) where participants were enrolled from 2003 to 2007. Accelerometer data, worn up to seven days by participants, were collected from 7607 adults 45 years or older from 2009 to 2013, average age was 63 years old.
The authors of the study found that by increasing moderate activity levels from less than 3 minutes a day to 14 minutes a day, decreased their stroke risk by up to 43%. Furthermore, 4 to 5 hours a day of light intensity activity also lowered stroke risk as suggested in their results.
“Of course, accumulating [that] would likely require some intentional effort as most older adults don’t achieve that much,” said Dr Steven Hooker, one of the authors of the study. Right on, Dr. Hooker. Right on.
Also if you want a stroke, researchers found sedentariness greatly increased the risk of stroke. Being inactive 13 hours out of the recorded 16 hours led to a 44% higher risk for stroke compared to those who spent less than 12 hours in inactivity.
The authors do admit that seven days of accelerometer data was a limiting factor in the study.
The benefit of moderate to vigorous activity at any age cannot be overstated. On the the other hand, detriments of sedentary lifestyle also cannot be overstated. Many Americans are too lazy and simply not moving enough leading greater morbidity and loss of quality of life in their older years…and some even in their middle years.
SP Hooker et al. Association of accelerometer-measured sedentary time and physical activity with risk of stroke among US adults. JAMA Open Network. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.15385
