title: Do Physically Active Patients Have Better Functional Outcome after Stroke? A Systematic Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stroke is one of the major causes of mortality and, among survivors, disability. Physical activity has a protective effect maybe due to a major control of risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and body weight. However, the effect of prestroke physical activity and the poststroke functional outcomes needs clarification.
  
  
  METHODS
  We made a systematic review of the literature to elucidate this effect through electronic search in the MEDLINE/PubMed database. Prisma statement was used as a basis for this systematic review and analysis of the risk of bias was made according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Three studies were finally analyzed in this review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The largest of the studies (Rist et al) revealed no association between prior physical activity and functional outcome after stroke. The second major study (Stroud et al) showed only a slight association. Only the smallest of the 3 studies (Krarup et al) showed a protective effect of physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence of the protective effect of physical activity is still conflicting. Better longitudinal studies are still needed to see the real effect of physical activity on functional outcome after stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital do Servidor Publico Estadual, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariely Trigo
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tumasz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital do Servidor Publico Estadual, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tathiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Trócoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus Fernandes
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Rezende
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: vieira.botelho@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Ricardo Vieira
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Botelho
mesh_terms: D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Disability evaluation; physical activity; recovery of function; stroke