While regular exercise has many health benefits, a new study suggested that stroke survivors who completed a heart rehabilitation program focused on aerobic exercise significantly increased their ability to move from sitting to standing, and how long and can walk during a six-minute walking test.
The research was published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a structured exercise program common in the U.S. for people with cardiovascular disease that has been proven to increase cardiovascular endurance and improve quality of life. Despite many similar cardiovascular risk factors, stroke is not among the covered studies for heart transplantation.
Physical inactivity is common among stroke survivors, with more than 75 percent of U.S. stroke survivors not receiving the recommended amount of supervised exercise (150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of energetic physical activity per week). Currently, exercise-based heart rehabilitation programs are not the standard of care provided to people who have had a stroke in the U.S.
“Through this study, we hoped to develop control risk factors for stroke survivors, and prevent future stroke and heart events,” said lead study author Elizabeth W. Regan, DPT, Ph.D. ., clinical professor of exercise science in the physical therapy program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.
“Increasing physical activity is an important way to prevent stroke, and we wanted to see if the recovery patients receive after living with a heart attack could have positive outcomes similar to patients who survive a stroke,” Regan said. .
Researchers launched a pilot study at a medical center in North Carolina to examine the benefits of a cardiac rehabilitation program for stroke survivors. In total, 24 participants, ages 33 to 81, who had a stroke from three months to 10 years previously, were enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program including 30-to- aerobic exercise sessions. 51-minute three times a week, for three months.
At the beginning of the program, participants were assessed for physical activity (cardiovascular endurance, functional strength, and walking speed) and other health measures such as a mental health questionnaire and balance test. In a post-program evaluation, participants repeated these assessments. At a six-month follow-up meeting, they performed the same tests at a final time and answered life and exercise questionnaires. At the first post-program evaluation, researchers found compared to the beginning of the study:
Participants saw an improvement in the speed at which they could walk through a six-minute walking test. On average, each participant improved the distance to 203 feet.
Participants developed the ability to move quickly from sitting to standing in the five-hour standing test. Improvements to this test correspond to greater leg strength and may correspond to a lower risk of falls for people after a stroke.
Study participants improved their metabolic rate of functional activity (MET), or the maximum level of energy generated by the average person to perform a particular activity, around 3.6. For example, one activity-equivalent metabolism is defined as the energy it takes to watch TV, and seven are required for jogging. At the six-month follow-up visit, participants had achieved these benefits. maintenance, and 83.3% of those participants said they were still exercising at least once a week.
“Our most important goal as health care professionals is to help stroke survivors reduce as many risks as possible to prevent future stroke or cardiovascular disease. on these preliminary conclusions, we hope that consideration will be given to providing a heart transplant for all patients after a stroke, as it is for patients after a heart attack, “Regan said.
“We need to value exercise as medicine. Exercise is health, and it’s important for everyone, regardless of physical or age restriction. We hope that increased physical activity can be as one of the first steps in improving overall health after a stroke, “Regan added.
This study included a small sample of patients and was a pilot study at a single center in a multicenter health system; therefore, larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.
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