Cardiorespiratory fitness in stroke patients with different activities of daily living levels: a cross-sectional study

Understanding the relationship between cardiorespiratory function (CRF) and activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients is essential for improving rehabilitation outcomes. A total of 153 participants were enrolled in this study. Cardiopulmonary exercise was tested at admission. A multivariable linear regression was performed to identify variables associated with peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak). Participants with low ADL exhibited poorer responses to exercise than those with high ADL levels. After adjusting for confounders, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW) were significantly associated with VO_2peak in all patients. In the low ADL subgroup, the positive association between AGR and VO_2peak was consistent. Conversely, the negative association between LVPW and VO_2peak was uncertain. Otherwise, no significant association were found between AGR, LVPW, and VO_2peak in the high ADL subgroup. This study provides new insights into the relationship between CRF and ADL in stroke patients, with a focus on ARG and LVPW. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to further explore the role of AGR and LVPW in improving the CRF in stroke patients.