Reduced cardiovascular fitness and ambulatory function in black and white stroke survivors

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that quantitative measures of cardiovascular fitness and ambulatory function differ in Black and White hemiparetic stroke survivors. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: Outpatient academic medical center. Participants: Total of 118 hemiparetic stroke survivors. Main Outcome Measures: Cardiovascular fitness was measured as VO_{2 peak} and ambulatory function using the six-minute walk distance and 30-foot walking velocity in medically screened, community-dwelling stroke survivors. Results: In 118 subjects (56% Black and 44% White), no differences were seen in 1) VO_{2 peak} between Black or White men (15.0±4.3 vs. 15.1±3.9 mL/kg/minute) or women (11.5±2.7 vs. 12.3±3.7 mL/kg/minute); 2) six-minute walk distance between Black or White men (223±112 m vs 226±132 m) or women (198±100 vs 157±93 m); or 3) 30-foot walking velocity between Black or White men (0.60±0.27 m/second vs 0.61±0.31 m/ second) or women (0.50±0.21 m/second vs 0.41±0.23 m/second). Conclusion: No racial differences were seen in the degree of physical deconditioning in a selected population of community dwelling hemiparetic stroke survivors.