Prestroke physical activity to reduce stroke severity

Strong epidemiologic evidence supports the efficacy of physical activity for the primary prevention of stroke.¹ Physical activity has a favorable effect on vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, lipid profile, and psychosocial factors, each known to affect stroke risk.¹ A growing body of literature also suggests that even among individuals who have stroke, those who led a physically active lifestyle tended to have less severe strokes.^2–4 Furthermore, experimental research in animal models supports the value of exercise before and after stroke as a modifier of poststroke outcome.⁵ The availability of national registry studies has enabled exploration of these questions in larger samples of patients with stroke.