Implementation of home‑based health promotion program to improve flow‑mediated dilation among patients with subacute stroke

Stroke causes physiologic functional changes such as vascular resistance and arterial remodeling. This study aimed to explore the effects of 3‑month regular home‑based exercise rehabilitation on brachial flow‑mediated dilation (FMD), daily physical activity, and upper and lower extremity sensorimotor of the acute ischemic stroke patients.

This randomized control trial was done from August 2017 to September 2018. Patients with unilateral ischemic stroke were recruited from inpatient wards at an educational hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to the home‑based rehabilitation program (intervention group) or usual care (control group). Fugl‑Meyer upper and lower extremity sensorimotor score and Barthel score were evaluated in both the groups before and 3 months after baseline assessment. Furthermore, brachial artery vasomotor reactivity (FMD) hemiparetic arm assessed vascular health. The intervention group received home‑based rehabilitation exercise program for 3 months. The control group did not receive home‑based rehabilitation program and incentive telephone call. All data were collected and analyzed by SPSS software (version 20) and appropriate statistical tests.

Forty ischemic stroke patients (twenty in the intervention group and twenty in the control group) were examined. Results showed that Barthel score and Fugl‑Meyer upper and lower extremity score and FMD in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group after 3‑month home‑based exercise rehabilitation (P < 0/001).

Twelve‑week regular home‑based exercise training was well tolerated by the intervention group. After this period, improvements were reported in brachial FMD as well as daily physical activity and upper and lower extremity functional capacity.