Leisure time physical activity prevents stroke among patients with asymptomatic Intracranial arterial stenosis also

A new study published in the Journal of Stroke leisure time physical activity had role not only in secondary stroke prevention of intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS), but the  benefits of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) extend to asymptomatic ICAS  as well. The study suggests that intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) that is ≥70% asymptomatic has the strongest association with leisure time physical activity (LTPA).

Although beneficial in secondary stroke prevention of intracranial artery stenosis, it is unknown if leisure-time physical exercise also improves ICAS or extracranial carotid stenosis patients who are asymptomatic (ECAS). In order to ascertain the association between LTPA and ECAS and ICAS in a stroke-free, racially and ethnically diverse group, Dixon Yang and colleagues undertook this study.

Participants from the Northern Manhattan Study's magnetic resonance imaging sub-study, of which 1274 underwent LTPA tests at enrolment, were included in this cross-sectional study. LTPA was ordinarily expressed as model-based cluster analysis (LTPA-cluster) and constantly as metabolic equivalent score (MET-score), both based on the identical LTPA tests. Using carotid intima-media thickness and the amount of carotid plaques, ECAS was assessed sonographically. ICAS was determined using a time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography and was classified as having a stenosis of ≥50% or ≥70% or more. With confounders taken into account, regression models were used to assess the relationship between LTPA and ECAS and ICAS.