A systematic review of the impact of obesity on stroke inpatient rehabilitation functional outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a known risk factor for stroke, but its impact on functional recovery is less clear. Understanding the effect of obesity on functional recovery during inpatient rehabilitation will aid clinicians in patient counselling and help administrators with program planning.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if obesity affects the functional outcomes of adults undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases were searched using the subject headings and text word terms for stroke, rehabilitation, and obesity. Two independent reviewers screened the articles against pre-defined eligibility criteria and extracted the data. Outcomes of interest included FIM, mRS, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Sensorimotor Recovery after Stroke, and Barthel Index.

RESULTS

Seven studies from five countries with a total of 3070 participants were included. There was significant heterogeneity among the studies in the BMI cut-off points and functional outcome measures used. Two studies found a positive association between obesity and functional outcome, two studies found no association, and three studies reported a negative relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

No conclusions could be drawn regarding whether the functional outcome of adults undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation differ between individuals with and without obesity.