Physical Activity and Risk of Stroke in Women

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Abstract
Persuasive evidence has demonstrated that increased physical activity is associated with substantial reduction in risk of coronary heart disease.1 However, the role of physical activity in the prevention of stroke is less well studied, and results from epidemiological studies have been inconsistent. A significant inverse association between increasing physical activity and risk of stroke has been observed in some studies1-6 but not in others.7-10 Also, the dose-response relationship between physical activity and stroke has not been well characterized. Some studies have demonstrated a monotonic decreasing risk with increasing physical activity,2-4 while others have indicated a U-shaped relationship.6,11 In addition, few studies have examined the effects of physical activity on subtypes of stroke.1,2,6 Furthermore, most previous studies have focused on men2,3,5-8,11; data on women are sparse.1,12 In the Framingham Heart Study,12 high levels of physical activity were protective against total stroke risk in men but not in women.