2026 Guideline for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Guideline From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association
Abstract
AIM: The "2026 Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery" replaces the 2016 "Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery." This updated guideline is intended to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based set of recommendations. The intended audience includes physicians, allied health professionals, and caregivers. METHODS: A comprehensive search for literature published since the 2016 guideline, derived from research involving human participants, published in English, and indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline, was conducted between June and October 2025. Other documents on related subject matter previously published by the American Heart Association were also reviewed. STRUCTURE: This guideline provides recommendations based on the most current evidence available for stroke rehabilitation and recovery. Key updates include new and revised recommendations across the stroke recovery continuum, including the assessment and treatment of medical comorbidities, fracture risk, fall prevention, technology-enabled rehabilitation, caregiver support, participation, and safe return to work and driving. Although this guideline reflects significant advances, it also highlights gaps in knowledge and underscores the urgent need for continued research to further refine and improve treatment strategies.
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Authors: Lorie G. Richards, Nneka Ifejika, Joel Stein, Mona N. Bahouth, Martha Abshire Saylor, A.M. Barrett, Peii Chen, Anne Deutsch, Wendy Dusenbury, Charles Ellis, Janice Eng, Jamie Fleet, Heather R. Ford, Emily Grattan, Richard L. Harvey, Corinne A. Jones, Chandramouli Krishnan, Sara Kutzle, Deven Matthews, Nicole Mazwi, Jamila Minga, Dawn M. Nilsen, Elizabeth Noser, Heather R. Porter, Preeti Raghavan, Dorian K. Rose, Elizabeth R. Skidmore, Marie‐Pierre St‐Onge, Mary Ellen Stoykov, Amelia Tenberg Schettini, Alexandra L. Terrill, David L Tirschwell, Paul Vilar, Alicen Whitaker-Hilbig, Richard Zorowitz, Warren D. Lo, George F. Wittenberg, Allison E. Gaffey, Dipika Aggarwal, Maria Cecilia Alpasan, E. Jackson Amburn, S. K. Ashcroft, Oluwole O. Awosika, Tamilyn Bakas, Mark Bowden, Robynne Braun, Julia Carpenter, John Chae, Paula de la Pena, Wuwei Feng, Margaret A. French, Mark P. Goldberg, Marlis Gonzalez‐Fernandez, Jocelyn E. Harris, Abhishek Jaywant, Gert Kwakkel, Catherine E. Lang, D. Lin, Barbara Lutz, Laura M. McPherson, Emilia Michou, Vu Q. Nguyen, DaiWai Olson, Ela B. Plow, Robin White Chism, Lauren Winterbottom, Stephanie Zawada, E Zink
Institutions: American Academy of Pediatrics, Stroke Association, American Speech Language Hearing Association, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Academy of Dermatology, Council of State, Emergency Nurses Association, National Recreation and Park Association, United States Congress, American Islamic Congress, American Society of Neuroradiology