A half hour’s stroll can give people with hardening of the arteries in their legs or arms a boost in protection from a heart attack or stroke, a study finds. “The findings overall are encouraging,” said Russell C. Pate, associate dean for research at the University of South Carolina’s School of Public Health. “This class of patient already has atherosclerotic disease. It’s important to do everything possible to slow or stop the progression of that disease.” The study found walking boosted levels of a natural clot-dissolving chemical called tissue plasminogen activator, known as TPA. The body makes TPA, and genetically engineered versions are used as drugs to treat heart […]
Fit Fights Stroke Risk Moderate, consistent exercise can significantly lower your risk of stroke. A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that people who are even moderately fit have a considerably lower risk of stroke than inactive people. In the study, researchers looked at data on 16,878 men aged 40 to 87 with no previous history of heart attack or stroke. The researchers classified the men as high-, medium- or low fitness based on results of a treadmill test. During an average of 10 years of follow up, 32 of the men died of strokes. The researchers determined that men in the […]