2023-10-03 12:57:13
Ten thousand steps and more. The benefits of physical activity (PA) on strokes are no longer in doubt. Whether it is ischemic (obstruction of a cerebral artery by a blood clot), in more than 80% of cases, or hemorrhagic (rupture of a vessel in the brain). We know that a sedentary lifestyle, associated with a lack of physical activity, increases the risk of stroke. But physical activity also acts as secondary prevention (improvement of autonomy) or tertiary prevention (reduction of recidivism).
In France, no less than 150,000 people are affected by a stroke each year, or one every four minutes, of whom 30,000 die. It represents the leading cause of acquired disability in adults and the second cause of dementia, according to Inserm. The clinical symptoms are very varied. “Long described as a pathology specific to the elderly, strokes are affecting more and more middle-aged adults (particularly women), with changes in lifestyle (particularly increased physical inactivity). and sedentary lifestyle) and the development of cardiovascular risk factors, with smoking at the forefront., specified the High Authority for Health (HAS) at the end of 2018.
A study by Swedish researchers from the University of Gothenburg, published in May in the monthly medical journal JAMA Network Open, and conducted on 1,367 stroke patients, showed that increased or maintained physical activity, with four hours of exercise per week, doubled the patients’ chances of recovering well six months later. The work was conducted in thirty-five Swedish hospitals and rehabilitation centers, from late 2014 to mid-2019. The subjects were followed, from two to fifteen days after the onset of the stroke, for six months.
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This work also highlights that people with preserved cognition, and mainly men, have a higher probability of doing physical activity after their stroke and of continuing it, allowing for better recovery. In fact, the after-effects of stroke, such as balance or walking problems, often limit the practice of physical activity.
“This study is particularly interesting due to the size of its sample. The results are consistent and consistent with existing literature. The current challenge is to provide a sufficient level of evidence on the modalities of PA practice – intensity, frequency, dose-response…”explains Julien Metrot, head of the APA and neurological conditions commission of the French Society of Adapted Physical Activity Professionals (APA).
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