Walking Activities during the Acute Stroke Hospital Stay May Benefit Cerebrovascular Health

Abstract

Purpose: Physical activity within the hospital post-stroke is recommended for cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, but no studies have examined cerebrovascular health. We hypothesized individuals who walked farther distances (FARhigh) in the hospital would have a higher resting middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) and a greater cerebrovascular response (CVR) to moderate-intensity exercise at 3-months post-stroke, compared to individuals who walked shorter distances (FARlow). Methods: At 3-month post-stroke, we recorded 90-seconds of baseline (BL) MCAv followed by 6-minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. We calculated CVR as the change in MCAv from BL to steady-state exercise. We collected farthest distance walked from the electronic medical record. We divided individuals based on average farthest walking distance, (FARhigh or FARlow). Results: Participants (n = 20) were 63 ± 15 years. BL MCAv was not different between groups (p = 0.07). In comparison to FARlow, we report a higher CVR in FARhigh′s ipsilesional (x = 7.38 ± 5.42 vs x = 2.19 ± 3.53, p = 0.02) and contralesional hemisphere (x = 8.15 ± 6.37 vs x = 2.06 ± 4.76, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Physical activity during the hospital stay post-stroke may support cerebrovascular health after discharge. Prospective studies are needed to support this finding.