Women who enroll in moderate exercising decrease their risk of having a stoke by 20%. Moreover, moderate exercise can offset the risk in women on postmenopausal hormone therapy. Best news is that brisk walking is as effective as intense physical exercise. In other words, anyone can do it, regardless current physical shape.
Data released by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention show that 795.000 Americans suffer a stroke each year. 13.000 of them die and the overall cost for US reaches the impressive sum of $38.6 billion.
Statistics and Numbers
Researchers lead by Prof. Sophia Wang (Beckman Research Institute in California) analyzed information from California Teachers Study gathered from 130.000 women and searched how many of them experienced strokes between 1996 and 2010. Then they added the reports given by these women on their amount and type of exercise.
The pattern formed revealed women who took up moderate exercise three years before enrolling into the study were 20% less likely to suffer a stroke, than women who didn’t exercise.
The surprising fact discovered by the researchers was that intense physical activity did not had visible effects on the decreasing rate of strokes, the results being similar for both groups.
Immediate Effects of Exercise
The study conducted by Prof Wang revealed that women who were prescribed postmenopausal hormone therapy, which increases the risk of a stroke with 30%, can reduce it by exercising.
After they stop hormone therapy the effects of previous physical activity kicks in and reduce the risk of stroke as for the women who didn’t took hormones. The effects of exercise are consistent in both postmenopausal and premenopausal women.
Moderate physical activities are power walking and tennis, which are accessible to everyone and don’t require subscription to the gym.
Further Studies on Women with Diabetes
The study showed women who suffer from diabetes have a higher risk of stroke, but they are also overweight. Because the study was conducted on Caucasian women, researchers don’t know if ethnicity can alter the results. Further studies are needed on both matters.
What to do in the Event of a Stroke – FAST method can save your Life
The American Stroke Association had released a four-step program to follow in the event of a stroke. Being easy to remember, it can actually save your life.
F – Face dropping, or partial face dropping is a warning sign;
A – Arm weakness or inability to move your arm in the desired direction, the feeling it doesn’t belong to you is another sign of stroke;
S – Speech difficulty can be easily checked by repeating a clear, simple phrase. If you are alone, use your record function on your mobile phone to check if you repeat correctly;
T – Time to call 911 as fast as possible if you’ve experiencing one of the above symptoms. If they fade away, a visit to the hospital is still urgent as a stroke can leave serious damage on your brain or internal organs.
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