Women who
walk at least three hours every week are less likely to suffer a stroke than
women who walk less or not at all, according to new research from Spain.
Women
who walked briskly for 210 minutes or more per week had a lower stroke risk
than inactive women but also lower than those who cycled and did other
higher-intensity workouts for a shorter amount of time.
The results
for women who were regular walkers translated to a 43 percent reduction in
stroke risk compared to the inactive group.
Each
year in the U.S., about 795,000 people suffer a stroke, according to the American
Heart Association. Put another way, one American has a stroke every 40 seconds
and dies from one every four minutes.
Despite
a recent dip in strokes attributed to better blood pressure control and
anti-smoking campaigns, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that
stroke cases will increase as the global population continues to grow older.
Guidelines
set by the WHO and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend at
least 150 minutes - or two-and-a-half hours - of moderate exercise such as
brisk walking each week.
Source: Physical Activity and Risk of Cerebrovascular Disease in the
European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Spain Study
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