Trial of Aerobic Exercise Training in Stroke Survivors

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke greater than or equal to 6 months prior with stable residual hemiparetic gait deficits
• Already completed all conventional inpatient and outpatient physical therapy
• Adequate language and neurocognitive function to safely participate in exercise testing and training
• Men or women ages 40-75 years
• Body mass index between 20 to 50 kg/m2
• Non-smoker, or history of no smoking for more than 5 years
• Under the care of a primary care medical provider

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

• Adipose tissue and muscle biopsy exclusion criteria:

  1. anti-coagulation therapy with heparin, warfarin, or lovenox (anti-platelet therapy is permitted)
  2. bleeding disorder
  3. allergy to lidocaine