Effectiveness of exercise in reducing cerebral stroke risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between exercise and cerebral stroke and provide evidence for the prevention of cerebral stroke. Materials/Methods: All clinical trials of exercise intervention for atherosclerosis were systematically reviewed. Five major databases were searched to retrieve relevant studies from their inception to May 2022. According to the magnitude of heterogeneity, the random and fixed-effect models were used to test reasonably. Results: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1341 articles were screened and 13 articles involving 825 patients were identified. The result showed that in the randomized controlled trials carotid intima-media thickness index was lower in the exercise group (-0.04 mm, 95% confidence interval: -0.07 to -0.01). All were statistically significant (P < .005) and subgroup analysis showed that the intervention period and paper quality are sources of heterogeneity. Conclusions: The results of this systematic review suggest that exercise is associated with a slow increase in carotid intima-media thickness, which may provide evidence that exercise helps reduce cerebral stroke.