Physical activity and the risk of ischemic stroke: A population-based longitudinal follow-up study in Taiwan (KCIS no. 43)

Lack of exercise is a leading risk factor for stroke, and it has been demonstrated that increasing physical activity (PA) can prevent ischemic stroke. However, there has been limited research on the relationship between ischemic stroke and PA, especially among Asian populations. This study therefore investigates whether the level of PA in the Taiwanese population affects its risk of first-ever ischemic stroke, utilizing screening data on 58,857 individuals collected by the Keelung Health Bureau between 2005 and 2012. These subjects were divided into three groups based on their weekly exercise frequency and duration, i.e., 1) a no PA (NPA) group, 2) a low PA (LPA) group (less than 90 min of exercise per week), and 3) a high PA (HPA) group (90 min or more of exercise per week). The results showed that, as compared to the NPA group, the adjusted hazard ratio for ischemic stroke in the LPA group was 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.78-0.95, p < 0.0001); and that in the HPA group, it was also 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.79-0.94, p < 0.0001). In other words, even engaging in PA for less than 90 min per week may lower the risk of first-ever ischemic stroke. Importantly, LPA is more accessible, more sustainable, and easier to promote for the general population than the 150 min per week recommended by the World Health Organization.