Stroke survivors who completed a cardiac rehabilitation program focused on aerobic exercise significantly improved their ability to transition from sitting to standing as well as in how far they could walk during a six-minute walking test, according to a pilot study led by researchers at the University of South Carolina.
The study involved 24 stroke survivors, aged 33 to 81 years, who completed a three-month cardiac rehabilitation program focused on aerobic exercise, which currently is not prescribed for stroke survivors. The program helped participants improve their strength and cardiac endurance, and researchers found that six months after the program, 83% of participants reported that they had continued exercising at least once a week.
“Our most important goal as healthcare professionals is to help stroke survivors reduce as many risk factors as possible to prevent future stroke or cardiovascular disease,” said lead study author Elizabeth W. Regan, D.P.T., Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of exercise science in the physical therapy program at the University of South Carolina. “Based on these preliminary findings, we hope prescribing cardiac rehab will be considered for all patients following a stroke, as it is for patients after a heart attack.”
Full findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
