A study from the University of Gothenburg suggests regular physical activity and exercise may reduce bleeding in persons suffering from intracerebral hemorrhage. The study, published in the journal Stoke and Vascular Neurology, looked at data from 686 persons who were treated for intracerebral hemorrhage at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg from 2014 to 2019. Researchers of the study stressed the importance of physical activity in brain protection.
The findings are the outcome of a retrospective analysis. Those who reported being physically active regularly had lower hemorrhages than those who reported being idle. Physically active was defined as engaging in at least light physical activity, such as walking, cycling, swimming, gardening, or dancing, for at least four hours weekly.
The main author of the study, Adam Viktorisson, a Ph.D. student in clinical neuroscience at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and doctor in general practice at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, said, “We found that individuals who engage in regular physical activity had, on average, bleeding volumes that were 50 per cent smaller upon arriving to the hospital. A similar connection had previously been seen in animal studies, but no prior study has demonstrated this in humans.”
Patients who go to the hospital with a suspected intracerebral hemorrhage undergo a computerised tomography (CT) scan of the brain. Neurosurgery may be required depending on the severity of the hemorrhage. However, in most cases, non-surgical methods and medications are used to manage symptoms and promote patient recovery.
Thomas Skoglund, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Gothenburg, a neurosurgeon at the University Hospital, and one of the study’s co-authors, said, “In cases of major intracerebral hemorrhages, there is a risk of increased pressure within the skull that can potentially lead to fatal outcomes.”
The findings were significant regardless of the location within the cerebrum. Physically active individuals exhibited reduced bleeding in both the deep regions of the brain, which are often associated with high blood pressure, and the surface regions, which are linked to age-related conditions like dementia.
The study creates scope for further research on intracerebral hemorrhages and physical activity. Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen, professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Gothenburg and senior consultant physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, oversees the study.
"We hope that our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of intracerebral hemorrhages and aid in the development of more effective preventive measures" she concluded.
