Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva

By Leo and Eva

Cutting through the complexity of health and fitness research, Leo & Eva brings you the latest scientific discoveries—decoded for everyday life.

We break down cutting-edge studies from the world... more

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FAQs about Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva:

How many episodes does Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva have?

The podcast currently has 380 episodes available.

Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva episodes:

September 14, 2026 What Did a US Trial Find About EMS After Stroke?
Scientists at Johns Hopkins, Emory, Kessler and MetroHealth tested clinic EMS after stroke.
They randomly assigned 132 people with weak hands to CCFES, cyclic stimulation, or training alone.
Blinded therapists scored the Box and Block Test, Fugl-Meyer arm scale and ARAT across 36 weeks.
All groups gained dexterity. CCFES raised impairment scores by 8.1 points versus 3.7 and 4.4. Sixty-seven percent made a meaningful Fugl-Meyer gain, against 42% and 38%.
The NIH-funded trial appeared in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal.
Those figures suggest guided electrical stimulation can aid hand function. The full post has the dose, safety data and limits.
https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/stroke-trial-ems-hand-recovery

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20min
September 14, 2026 Can EMS Help Wrist Strength After Stroke? What Scientists Actually Measured
Clinicians and engineers at the University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde ran a randomised trial of 60 people two to four weeks after stroke.

Both groups had usual rehab. One also had 90 minutes a day of EMS to the wrist extensors for eight weeks.

Scientists measured isometric wrist force at 0°, 15° and 30°, plus ARAT grasp, grip and total scores, to week 32. Force rose more with EMS at week 8 (P=0.004) and week 32 (P=0.014). Grasp and grip also improved more at week 8. In people with leftover wrist force, ARAT rose 21.1 versus 10.3 points.

Published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, those figures suggest electrical stimulation can aid early arm recovery.

The full post has the protocol, numbers and limits.

https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/glasgow-stroke-trial-ems-wrist-extensors

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23min
September 14, 2026 Can Early Arm Stimulation Improve Life After Stroke?
Scientists at the University of Birmingham reviewed 20 randomised trials of EMS used as FES after stroke.
They tracked 431 adults: 238 received stimulation plus usual rehab, 193 received usual care.
Objective daily-living scores improved when EMS began within two months (SMD 1.24).
The Fugl-Meyer arm score rose 6.72 points overall and 11.11 points in that early window. Treatment after one year showed little gain.
The paper was peer-reviewed in Systematic Reviews and pre-registered. Quality was low, yet the early figures suggest EMS may support recovery.
Read the full post for muscles, session times, and limits.

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10min
September 14, 2026 Can electrical stimulation help rebuild weaker legs after stroke?
Belgian, Ghent and Antwerp scientists pooled 23 randomised trials on 933 adults after stroke.

They measured weaker-leg muscle strength with dynamometers and clinical scales, and muscle thickness with ultrasound.

In 17 trials they compared EMS, FES or similar electrotherapy plus physiotherapy with usual rehab or sham.

Strength rose more versus usual care (SMD 0.63) and sham (SMD 0.44).
Thickness rose 0.11 cm. GRADE called the main strength and thickness findings moderate.

The peer-reviewed Taylor & Francis review was PROSPERO-registered, with no declared conflicts.

That is why the numbers suggest add-on EMS may help legs after stroke — and why the full post is worth opening.

https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/can-ems-plus-physiotherapy-help-rebuild-weaker-legs-after-stroke
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12min
September 13, 2026 What Did Scientists Measure When They Tested EMS for Foot-Drop After Stroke?
Scientists in England reviewed five randomised trials of 815 adults after stroke. They compared FES, a walking form of EMS, with ankle braces for foot-drop.
They timed the 10-metre walk, distance walked, timed up-and-go, and mobility scores. Checks ran from six weeks to twelve months. Both groups walked faster and farther than at the start. Step counts also rose with regular use.
The paper ran in the peer-reviewed Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. Authors were from Huddersfield and Salford. The numbers suggest supported walking with EMS can help after stroke. Read the full post for the tests, figures, and limits.

https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/fes-ems-stroke-foot-drop-walking-research

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22min
September 13, 2026 Is a Foot-Drop Stimulator Better Than a Brace After Stroke?
A 2013 multicenter randomized trial tested a wearable foot-drop stimulator against a standard brace in 93 adults within 12 months of stroke.

Scientists timed a 4-minute figure-of-8 and a 10-metre walk with the device on and off. They also tracked walking effort, mobility, and perceived safety.

After 6 weeks, stimulator users gained 0.119 m/s on the figure-of-8 with stimulation on. Speed also rose when the device was off. 70% who tried both preferred the stimulator.

Published in Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair after work at nine US rehab centres, the data suggest targeted EMS can support walking after stroke.

The full post unpacks every number, limit, and what it does not prove.
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25min
September 13, 2026 Does Electrical Stimulation Change Gait Speed After Stroke?
In a U.S. clinical trial in the journal Stroke, teams at major hospitals tested a wearable foot-drop stimulator that uses electrical stimulation (EMS).

197 people about 4.5 years after stroke completed timed 10-metre walks, fast-walk tests, a 6-minute walk, balance scores, step counts, and satisfaction surveys across 30 weeks.

In the stimulator group, comfortable gait speed rose by 0.11–0.17 m/s. Fast walking, endurance, and user ratings also improved.

Those measured gains suggest EMS can help walking after stroke.

The registered multicenter design makes the evidence worth a closer look. The full post has every figure.
https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/ems-after-stroke-walking-trial
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17min
September 13, 2026 Can Targeted Electrical Stimulation Help People Walk After a Stroke?
A 2014 US clinical trial tested peroneal-nerve functional electrical stimulation, a targeted form of EMS, against an ankle-foot brace in 495 people with chronic stroke and foot drop.

Teams at 30 centres measured gait speed, six-minute distance, obstacle walking, balance, and quality-of-life scores for six months.

Both groups gained about 0.19 m/s, a roughly 40 percent rise in walking speed. FES matched the brace on primary outcomes and improved some functional tasks within its own group.

Published in Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair by Cleveland Clinic and other hospitals, the data suggest targeted EMS can aid walking after stroke.

The full post has the exact numbers, safety findings, and limits.

https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/fes-ems-stroke-walking-study-2014
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26min
September 11, 2026 What Did a 2025 Cochrane Review Find About EMS After Stroke?
A 2025 Cochrane review pooled 89 trials and 2,905 adults after stroke.

Scientists compared EMS with nothing, sham, or practice, then measured voluntary strength and everyday activity without the machine on. CES beat nothing: moderate strength gain (SMD 0.47, 23 trials, 741 people) and activity gain (SMD 0.50)—high-certainty evidence that lasted after treatment. FES helped activity versus nothing (SMD 0.42) and added a small extra lift versus practice alone (SMD 0.22). Side effects were uncommon.

Teams from Macquarie, Sydney, and Monash published in the Cochrane Library—gold-standard methods.

That is why EMS can help rebuild weak muscle after stroke. Read the full blog for every number, limit, and source.
https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/ems-after-stroke-cochrane-review
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23min
September 11, 2026 What Did a 2025 Japanese Trial Find About EMS After Stroke?
A Japanese hospital team ran a peer-reviewed randomised controlled trial of NMES, a form of EMS , after acute stroke.

They measured quadriceps muscle thickness by ultrasound on day 1 and day 14.

The weak thigh lost 2.65 mm with NMES versus 4.64 mm without it.

In milder stroke (NIHSS under 12), that thigh stayed at 0.00 mm versus a 3.88 mm drop.

Ankle tone was also lower after NMES.

The full group result was not statistically firm, so this is a signal, not proof.

The work came from Steel Memorial Yawata Hospital and is open access. The full post gives the protocol, safety notes, and limits.

https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/japanese-nmes-trial-stroke-quadriceps-muscle

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20min

FAQs about Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva:

How many episodes does Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva have?

The podcast currently has 380 episodes available.