(Stroke. 2000;31:14.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions |
Physical Activity and Stroke Mortality in Women
Ten-Year Follow-Up of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey, 1984–1986
From the National Institute of Public Health, Community Medicine Research Unit, Verdal (H.E., J.H.); Department of Medicine, Innherred Hospital, Levanger (E.E.); and Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim (L.V.), Norway.
Correspondence to Hanne Ellekjær, MD, National Institute of Public Health, Community Medicine Research Unit, N-7650 Verdal, Norway. E-mail verdalfh{at}online.no
Background and Purpose—Few studies have reported a protective effect of physical activity on stroke in women, particularly among elderly women. This study was conducted to examine the association between different levels of leisure-time physical activity and stroke mortality in a large prospective study of middle-aged and elderly women.
Methods—We conducted a 10-year mortality follow-up of women aged
50 years, free from stroke at baseline (n=14 101), who participated
in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey in Norway during 1984–1986. Main
outcome measures were relative risk of stroke mortality according to
increasing levels of physical activity, with the least active group
used as reference.
Results—In groups aged 50 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80 to 101 years, the relative risk of dying decreased with increasing physical activity, after adjustment for potentially confounding factors. In groups aged 50 to 69 and 70 to 79 years, the most active women had an adjusted relative risk of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.24 to 0.75) and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.36 to 0.88), respectively. In the group aged 80 to 101 years, there was a consistent negative association with physical activity; the adjusted relative risk for the most active was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.30 to 1.09).
Conclusions—Physical activity was associated with reduced risk of death from stroke in middle-aged and elderly women. This association persisted after we excluded individuals with prevalent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease at baseline and women who died during the first 2 years of follow-up. These observations strengthen the evidence that physical activity should be part of a primary prevention strategy against stroke in women.
Key Words: epidemiology • exercise • risk factors • stroke prevention
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