A structured exercise protocol vs usual care is linked to improved walking endurance after subacute stroke, a real-world, phase 3 trial shows.
The structured, progressive “Walk 'n Watch” exercise protocol, delivered by physical therapists to patients in Canada with subacute stroke, was associated with greater improvement in walking endurance, speed, balance, mobility, and quality of life than usual care in a new phase 3 trial.
This phase 3, pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized controlled trial included more than 300 participants with confirmed stroke within 12 weeks previously across 12 inpatient stroke rehabilitation units in Canada between 2021 and 2024. About 162 patients were assigned to the usual care group, and 144 were assigned to the Walk 'n Watch group. Three sites each were allocated to one of four sequences consisting of 4, 8, 12, or 16 months of usual care, followed by a 2-week transition period, and then up to 20 months dedicated to the Walk 'n Watch intervention. Front-line physical therapists delivered the Walk 'n Watch protocol with at least 30 minutes of walking-related activities per session, with the intensity progressively increased on the basis of heart rate and step count monitors.In the Walk 'n Watch group, the mean distance increased from 163.6 m at baseline to 297.2 m at 4 weeks compared with 137.1 m to 223.6 m in the usual care group. The intervention also had a greater “clinically meaningful improvement” in the 6MWT vs the usual care . Men had a greater improvement on the 6MWT with Walk 'n Watch vs usual care , whereas women showed an improvement of only 15.7 m). Improvements in quality of life, balance, mobility, and gait speed were greater in the Walk 'n Watch group than in the usual care group. No serious adverse events occurred during Walk 'n Watch sessions, although five and four SAEs requiring admission to acute care were reported in the Walk 'n Watch and usual care groups, respectively, while participants were on the rehab ward. Of all 58 falls recorded during the study, only one occurred during a Walk ‘n Watch session.“The Walk 'n Watch protocol resulted in a clinically meaningful improvement in walking endurance in patients with subacute stroke in a real-world setting. The protocol can be readily implemented into practice with minimal additional resources,” the investigators wrote.The study was led by Sue Peters, PhD, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Elborn College, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. It wasData collection and recruitment were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The intracluster correlation coefficient for 6MWT was greater than what was seen in the pilot study, possibly due to greater heterogeneity in the types of sites in this trial.The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Brain Research Fund, Michael Smith Health Research BC, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, Canada Research Program, and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Several investigators reported having financial ties with various organizations, and one investigator reported serving as chair of the Rehabilitation Care Alliance of Ontario and co-chair of the March of Dimes After Stroke Advisory Committee. Full details are listed in the original article. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our
Cerebrovascular Accident CVA Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) Canada Canadian Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Physiatry PM&Amp Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation (PMR) Exercise Physical Activity Heart Mobility Quality Of Life QOL Health Related Quality Of Life Health-Related Quality Of Life HRQOL Artificial Intelligence Deep Learning AI NPL Machine Learning
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump-backed crypto regulation bills fail to clear key hurdle in CongressRepublicans who voted against the cryptocurrency regulation legislation objected to how the bills were structured.
Read more »
Artificial Intelligence-Generated Medical Podcasts Deceive Even the ExpertsMost authors said their research was summarized clearly and with structured delivery.
Read more »
Why is XRP price bleeding after Brazil's VERT structured credit launchRipple (XRP) price is extending an intraday red candle on Wednesday, trading at around $3.29 in the American session. The decline follows a rejection from Monday's swing, which stopped just shy of the token's record high of $3.66, reached on Friday.
Read more »
EXCLUSIVE: Clarks Wants to Put You in a Walking Shoe for Walking — Not a RunnerExclusive: Clarks is announcing its debut walking shoe, the Pace. The British company urges those who walk for fitness to wear the right footwear and not running shoes.
Read more »
Intensive, Structured Lifestyle Program Boosts Cognition in At-Risk AdultsA structured lifestyle program targeting multiple risk factors significantly improves cognitive function in older adults at risk for cognitive decline, outperforming a self-guided program.
Read more »
Walking for Health? A Faster Pace Boosts BenefitsWant to cut your odds of an early death by almost 20%? Take just 15 minutes out of your day for a brisk walk, researchers advise.
Read more »