Rehab for heart patients may also help those who have mild strokes
Because high cholesterol is a huge risk factor for heart disease, some patients buy Lipitor and other statins to keep their cholesterol levels in check.
Because high cholesterol is a huge risk factor for heart disease, some patients buy Lipitor and other statins to keep their cholesterol levels in check. People concerned about their heart health may also begin an exercise regimen, quit smoking or change their diet. Such lifestyle changes may also benefit people who survive a mild stroke, new research says.
"Many of the risk factors that we worry about after a heart attack - high cholesterol, smoking, low exercise capacity and high blood pressure - also concern us after a [transient ischemic attack, or TIA]," said author Neville Suskin, MBChB, MSc. TIA is a mini stroke that leaves little or no permanent brain injury, but also acts as a strong risk factor for a more massive stroke in the future.
Suskin and other researchers at the University of Western Ontario enrolled 100 patients who survived a TIA or mild stroke into a study where participants underwent a routine cardiac rehab regiment for seven and a half months. The program included exercise, drug management, nutrition education, smoking cessation and mental health management.
Results showed that ultimately, subjects significantly lowered their risks not only for a heart attack, but also for a massive stroke. Patients' peak exercise capacity increased 31 percent, total cholesterol levels decreased, blood pressure improved and several people quit smoking, the researchers said.
Future research will need to compare cardiac rehab to standard treatment after a mild stroke or TIA.
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