Trial of Aerobic Exercise Training in Stroke Survivors

Exclusion Criteria

• •Already performing aerobic exercise 3 times a week
• •Increased alcohol consumption defined as greater than 2 oz. liquor or 8 oz. of wine or 24 oz. of beer per day
• •Cardiac history of:
• •1. unstable angina
• •2. recent (less than 3 months prior to study entry) myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure
• •3. hemodynamically significant valvular dysfunction
• •Medical History:
• •1. recent hospitalization (less than 3 months prior to study entry) for severe medical disease
• •2. peripheral arterial disease with vascular claudication
• •3. orthopedic or chronic pain condition restricting exercise
• •4. pulmonary or renal failure
• •5. active cancer
• •6. untreated poorly controlled hypertension measured on at least 2 occasions (greater than 160/100)
• •7. type I diabetes mellitus, insulin therapy, untreated and/or poorly controlled diabetes with fasting blood glucose of greater than 160
• •8. smoking within the last 5 years
• •9. allergy to lidocaine
• •10. medications: heparin, warfarin, lovenox, beta-blockers, oral steroids
• •Neurological history of:
• •1. dementia with Mini-Mental Status Score less than 23 (less than 17 if education level at or below 8th grade), and diagnostic confirmation by neurologist or psychiatrist
• •2. severe receptive or global aphasia which confounds testing and training, operationally defined as unable to follow 2 point commands
• •3. hemiparetic gait from a prior stroke preceding the index stroke defining eligibility (more than one stroke)
• •4. neurologic disorder restricting exercise, such as Parkinsons Syndrome or myopathy
• •5. untreated major depression
• •1. anti-coagulation therapy with heparin, warfarin, or lovenox (anti-platelet therapy is permitted)
• •2. bleeding disorder
• •3. allergy to lidocaine