ExStroke Pilot Trial of the Effect of Repeated Instructions to Improve Physical Activity After Ischaemic Stroke: a Multinational Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial

Overview

Journal BMJ

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2009 Nov 11

PMID 19900934

Citations 43

Authors

Gudrun Boysen

Lars-Henrik Krarup

Xianrong Zeng

Adam Oskedra

Janika Korv

Grethe Andersen

Christian Gluud

Anders Pedersen

Marianne Lindahl

Lotte Hansen

Per Winkel

Thomas Truelsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate if repeated verbal instructions about physical activity to patients with ischaemic stroke could increase long term physical activity.

Design: Multicentre, multinational, randomised clinical trial with masked outcome assessment.

Setting: Stroke units in Denmark, China, Poland, and Estonia.

Participants: 314 patients with ischaemic stroke aged >or=40 years who were able to walk-157 (mean age 69.7 years) randomised to the intervention, 157 (mean age 69.4 years) in the control group.

Interventions: Patients randomised to the intervention were instructed in a detailed training programme before discharge and at five follow-up visits during 24 months. Control patients had follow-up visits with the same frequency but without instructions in physical activity.

Main Outcome Measures: Physical activity assessed with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) at each visit. Secondary outcomes were clinical events.

Results: The estimated mean PASE scores were 69.1 in the intervention group and 64.0 in the control group (difference 5.0 (95% confidence interval -5.8 to 15.9), P=0.36. The intervention had no significant effect on mortality, recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, or falls and fractures.

Conclusion: Repeated encouragement and verbal instruction in being physically active did not lead to a significant increase in physical activity measured by the PASE score. More intensive strategies seem to be needed to promote physical activity after ischaemic stroke.

Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT00132483.

Citing Articles

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Crocker T, Brown L, Lam N, Wray F, Knapp P, Forster A Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021; 11:CD001919.

PMID: 34813082 PMC: 8610078. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001919.pub4.

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