Trial of Aerobic Exercise Training in Stroke Survivors

Many stroke survivors are sedentary and are at risk for the development of diabetes. We will study the interactions of adipose tissue and the paretic and non-paretic muscle inflammation, insulin signaling and action in hemiparetic stroke patients and the ability to employ exercise training to reverse these abnormalities in this ethnically diverse population. Participants aged 40-75 years with chronic stroke will be randomized to treadmill training versus stretch control group using a one-two-one blocked randomization on race (black vs. white), sex (male vs. female), and glucose tolerance status (normal vs. impaired and type 2 diabetes). Stroke occurs in over 780,000 persons each year in the U.S., the vast majority reported in persons older than 55 years of age. Following stroke, patients remain at continued high risk for recurrent stroke. Inflammatory processes lead to cardiovascular events/stroke and contribute to disease risk progression by impacting insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. Interventions that reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity have important clinical implications, especially in the stroke population. Task-oriented treadmill training is utilized to improve cardiovascular fitness and functional mobility in hemiparetic stroke patients. Additionally, preliminary data indicates that progressive treadmill training in this population improves glucose tolerance.