The National Institutes of Health already recommends regular physical activity for preventing diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as for losing or controlling weight. Now, a study supported by NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) adds a new benefit to the list. Moderate physical exercise such as brisk walking can substantially reduce the risk of stroke in women. The more women exercise, the lower their chances of having a stroke.

To arrive at their conclusion, scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health studied the medical records and physical activity questionnaires of 72,488 women between the ages of 40 and 65 who were participating in the long-term Nurses' Health Study. The scientists found that the women who were more physically active tended to be leaner and were less likely to smoke. However, after adjusting for body weight, smoking habits, and fruit and vegetable intake, the researchers found that more physical activity was associated with less stroke.

Walking, already the most popular form of physical activity among middle-aged and older women, was extremely effective in cutting the risk of stroke. A three and a half hour per week increase in moderate physical activity like brisk walking led to a 19% reduction in total stroke and a 29% decrease in ischemic stroke, which results when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted.

An important finding of the study is that sedentary women who became active later in life were able to reduce their risk of stroke as well. The conclusion: it's never too late to benefit from exercise. - by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.
JAMA 283,22:2961-2967

For more information about stroke, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Stroke Information Page at and Brain Attack: Risk Factors for a Stroke at .