Increasing Physical Activity After Stroke Tied to Good Functional Outcomes at Six Months

WEDNESDAY, May 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Increased physical activity following a stroke is associated with functional recovery at six months, according to a study published online May 1 in JAMA Network Open.

Dongni Buvarp, M.D., Ph.D., from University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and colleagues assessed the level of physical activity in the first six months after stroke among 1,367 individuals with similar physical activity patterns over time and investigated the association between physical activity trajectories and functional recovery at six months after stroke.

The researchers identified two distinct trajectory groups -- increaser (53 percent) and decreaser (47 percent) -- with the increaser group demonstrating a significant increase in physical activity level. This increase was sustained at light intensity from one week to six months. In contrast, the decreaser group showed a decline in physical activity and eventually became inactive. Membership in the increaser group was more likely among male participants and those with normal cognition, regardless of stroke severity. At six months, increasing physical activity that was sustained at light intensity was associated with a good functional outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 2.54).

"Interventions targeting individuals with decreasing physical activity in the subacute phase of stroke may play a role in improved functional outcomes," the authors write.

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