Good Physical Function Reduces Stroke Risk

Adults over age 40 with good physical function cut stroke risk by 50 percent compared to those who cannot climb stairs, kneel, or bend, a British study found.

Study author Phyo Kyaw Myint of the University of Cambridge in England examined 13,615 men and women in the United Kingdom from 1993 to 1997 between the ages of 40 and 79, who had not suffered a stroke, heart attack or cancer.

Participants completed a self-reported test on their physical function 18 months later that tested their ability to climb stairs, carry groceries, kneel, bend and lift. Researchers monitored how many of the study participants had a stroke through 2005.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, found people who scored in the top one-fifth on the physical function test had a 50 percent lower risk of stroke than those with the lowest test scores. The finding remained unchanged after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, physical activity, social class, alcohol consumption and respiratory function.

The study also found for every increase of 10 points on the test, men had a reduced risk of stroke by 19 percent and women had a 29 percent lower stroke risk.