While the medical community has known for years that exercise reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attack, new findings indicate that exercise can also reduce the risk of stroke. Frank B. Hu, M.D., at the Harvard School of Public Health has discovered that women who engaged in moderate-intensity walking had a significantly reduced chance of suffering a stroke.
Published in the June 14 edition of The Journal of The American Medical Association, Hu's study looked at 72,488 female nurses ages 40 to 65 years. The nurses were questioned about their exercise routines and followed for eight years. In that time, 407 women had strokes and their exercise histories were analyzed closely to see if other factors such as high blood pressure or obesity could have contributed to their strokes.
The researchers concluded, "These data indicate that physical activity, including moderate-intensity exercise such as walking, is associated with substantial reduction in risk of ... stroke in a dose response manner." Dose response manner means that the more you exercise, the greater the health benefit.
The study also showed that sedentary women who began walking later in life also benefited from their efforts. So it's never too late to start walking. If you are not physically active and plan to start a walking regimen, consult your physician first.
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