Healthy behavior reduces stroke risk

Physical Therapy, June, 2009

Four health behaviors combined predict more than twice the difference in relative risk of stroke in men and women, says an article published online February 19 in BMJ.

The 20,040 participants scored one point for each health behavior: not smoking, physical activity, moderate alcohol intake (1-14 units a week), and at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, for a total score ranging from 0 to 4.

The relative risks for stroke for men and women were 1.0 for all four health behaviors, 2.18 for one, and 2.31 for none. The relationships were consistent in subgroups stratified by sex, age, BMI, and social class, and after exclusion of deaths within 2 years.