It takes more than daily chores to counteract the risk of stroke. A new study at the University of Gothenburg suggests that longer walks and exercise during leisure time are necessary.
If you walk between 20 and 40 minutes a day, it has a positive effect on health. It reduces the risk of stroke by about 30 percent, says Adam Viktorisson, researcher at the university and leader of the study, which is published in the medical journal Jama Network Open.
On the other hand, daily activity at home or light gardening does not have any effect.
The study includes 3,614 people from Västra Götaland who have been followed for 20 years. Of these, 269 were affected by stroke.
During the period, data on the participants' physical activity was collected through questionnaires. Some also wore a pedometer.
Interestingly, no specific health effect could be seen in people with physically demanding work, such as heavy lifting.
It sounds a bit strange, but the pedometers showed that these people actually didn't walk that much, says Viktorisson.
What reduced the risk of stroke the most was strenuous leisure activities, such as running, swimming, or playing tennis at least two-three times a week, or walking or cycling at least four hours a week. People in this group had a 40 percent lower risk of stroke compared to inactive people.
Stroke, or cerebral infarction, is a collective term for acute diseases caused by changes in blood vessels in or to the brain. Two main forms exist, cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. Together, they come in third place among causes of death in Sweden, after heart disease and cancer. Annually, 30,000 Swedes are affected by stroke.
Source: NE
