Study Links Daily Walks to Reduced Risk of Severe Stroke Among Older Adults

A study published in Neurology suggests older adults who walk for 35 minutes a day may lower their risk of experiencing a moderate to severe stroke by 50 percent, reports Safety and Health Magazine . The investigators used two Swedish registries to examine 925 people, of whom 80 percent had suffered mild strokes. The individuals, who were 73 years old on average, were asked to assess their physical activity level from before the stroke. Seniors who were inactive before their stroke were twice as likely to experience a moderate or severe stroke than those who engaged in light activity, defined as walking for at least four hours a week, or moderate activity such as swimming, walking briskly, or running for two to three hours a week. "While exercise benefits health in many ways, our research suggests that even simply getting in a small amount of physical activity each week may have a big impact later by possibly reducing the severity of a stroke," said University of Gothenburg Professor Katharina Sunnerhagen.