ENAbLE- Pilot. Secondary prevention of stroke. A physical activity and diet pilot randomised controlled trial

We assessed whether telehealth-delivered physical activity and/or diet interventions are feasible and safe for people with stroke or TIA, and reduce stroke risk factors. Physical inactivity and poor diet quality are significant risk factors for stroke. International guidelines recommend increasing physical activity and improving diet quality to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke. There is however little evidence to support this. 40 stroke survivors who had experienced a stroke or TIA took part. • The telehealth-delivered interventions were found to be safe and feasible. Attendance at intervention sessions was high, with minimal dropout rates. There were no serious adverse events related to the interventions. • Participants receiving the physical activity intervention reported spending significantly more time being physically active compared to those who did not receive the intervention. • Participants who received the diet intervention showed promising improvement in overall diet quality. They also reported improvements in quality of life. • There were trends toward lower blood pressure associated with both the physical activity and diet interventions. Limitations The study faced difficulties reaching the target sample size, possibly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Study participants were predominantly young, lived in metropolitan areas, had normal blood pressure, and felt confident in their ability to exercise and results may not be generalisable to other populations.