Home alone: Solitude might be dangerous for stroke patients

I can see lots of reasons that it might be true that, as one study finds, male stroke victims are at a greater risk of premature death when living alone:

Excess mortality was found among 36 percent of the patients living alone, as opposed to 17 percent of those with partners who died within 12 years after a stroke. The gap was also heavier among men at 44 percent to 14 percent.

"Among the conceivable causes are that people who live alone lead less healthy lives, are less prone to take their medication and tend to wait longer before going to the emergency room," Dr. Redfors said, in a news release. "For the healthy controls, excess mortality was also greater among men, particularly those living alone."

Now, does that mean single men need to find someone now? I'm not sure about that. But it would make sense to designate someone to act on your behalf if needed, in addition to the cautions the news release cites.

Men: Walk to reduce your stroke risk

You've seen references to exercise before, but here's more info that to reduce stroke risk, take a hike:

Men who walked eight to 14 hours each week had about a one-third lower risk of stroke compared to men who walked no more than three hours a week or did not walk at all, and the risk was about two-thirds lower for men who walked more than 22 hours a week.

"Compared to walking at a slow pace, the men who walked faster had about a one-third reduction in stroke risk, but this was entirely explained by the fact that they walked further than men who walked slower," Jefferis told MedPage Today. "On balance it seemed that time spent walking, rather than walking pace, was more important in our study."

Walking is the predominant form of physical activity in older adults, and it is important to understand its impact on stroke risk in this population, the researchers wrote.

Walking is cheap exercise and cheap "medication" for stroke prevention. Most people can start at their own pace and time, and slowly improve as ability increases. Of course, it's always advisable to check with a health professional before starting an exercise program.

Not long ago, this blog highlighted a study focusing on women and walking. Now, it's time for men to "take a hike!"

(Photo from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)