Good physical function after age 40 reduces risk of stroke
(ARA) People who have good physical function after the age of 40 may lower their risk of stroke by as much as 50 percent compared to people who are not able to climb stairs, kneel, bend, or lift as well, according to research published in the latest issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
From 1993 to 1997, researchers examined nearly 14,000 men and women between ages 40 and 79 in the United Kingdom who had not suffered a stroke, heart attack or cancer. Researchers monitored how many strokes were suffered in this group through 2005.
The study found that people who reported good physical function regardless of age, sex, cholesterol level and other factors had a 50 percent lower risk of stroke.
"People who reported better physical function had significantly lower risk of stroke," said study author Phyo Kyaw Myint, MRCP, with the University of Cambridge. "This is independent of the known risk factors for stroke in the general population."
Myint says people with poor physical function may represent a high-risk population for stroke. "Physical function may identify apparently healthy men and women at an increased risk of stroke who may benefit the most from preventative treatments."
Myint said it's also possible that poor physical function may reflect underlying health issues, such as chronic inflammation, which may lead to vascular disease. He says increasing physical activity and eating more fruits and vegetables, which has been associated with better physical function, may also help to reduce stroke risk.
Other ways to help reduce the risk of a stroke include eating a low-salt, low-fat, low-cholesterol diet; controlling high blood pressure; and quitting smoking.
For more information, visit the American Academy of Neurology's Web site at www.aan.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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