Habitual physical activity reduces the risk of ischemic stroke: a case-control study in southern china.

Background: To ascertain the relationship between habitual physical activity and the risk of ischemic stroke among the Chinese population.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted in Foshan, Guangdong Province, during 2007-2008. Information on physical activity exposure and lifestyle characteristics was obtained from 374 incident ischemic stroke patients and 464 hospital-based controls (mean age 66 years) using a validated and reliable questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between physical activity levels and the ischemic stroke risk.

Results: The control subjects reported significantly longer duration of strenuous sports and moderate activity in recent daily life than the stroke patients. Increased engagements in such leisure time activities were associated with reduced risks of ischemic stroke after adjustment for confounding factors. A significant inverse dose-response relationship was also found for total physical activity exposure, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.25 (95% confidence interval = 0.14-0.45) for older adults engaged in 22 or more metabolic equivalent task hours per week relative to those engaged in less than 10 metabolic equivalent task hours per week.

Conclusions: The study provided evidence of an inverse association between habitual physical activity and the risk of ischemic stroke, which is important for the promotion and encouragement of leisure time exercise activities among elderly Chinese adults.