Published 28 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2795
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2795

Editorials

Exercise after stroke

Is beneficial but how best to increase physical activity is unknown

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death and the most common cause of severe disability in the United Kingdom. Low levels of physical activity substantially increase the risk of a first ever ischaemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke.¹ Although data about the association between physical activity and recurrent stroke are lacking, it is biologically plausible that physical activity after stroke might improve the profile of vascular risk factors and so reduce the risk of recurrent stroke and other vascular events.² In the linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj.b2810), Boysen and colleagues report a randomised controlled trial of repeated encouragement and advice aimed at increasing physical activity after stroke.³

Levels of physical activity in community dwelling adults with mild motor impairment after stroke are about half those of healthy older people.⁴ Physical fitness (including aerobic fitness, muscle strength, and muscle power) is substantially lower in people after stroke than in age . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Geriatric Medicine Unit and Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh EH16 4SA

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Relevant Article

ExStroke Pilot Trial of the effect of repeated instructions to improve physical activity after ischaemic stroke: a multinational randomised controlled clinical trial

Gudrun Boysen, Lars-Henrik Krarup, Xianrong Zeng, Adam Oskedra, Janika Kõrv, Grethe Andersen, Christian Gluud, Anders Pedersen, Marianne Lindahl, Lotte Hansen, Per Winkel, Thomas Truelsen for the ExStroke Pilot Trial Group
BMJ 2009 339: b2810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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