Physical Activity Levels in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients

BACKGROUND: Increases in daily physical activity levels is recommended for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, despite this recommendation, little is known about the physical activity patterns of PAD patients. OBJECTIVE: To describe the physical activity patterns of patients with symptomatic peripheral artery (PAD) disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 174 PAD patients with intermittent claudication symptoms. Patients were submitted to clinical, hemodynamic and functional evaluations. Physical activity was objectively measured by an accelerometer, and the time spent in sedentary, low-light, high-light and moderate-vigorous physical activities (MVPA) were obtained. Descriptive analysis was performed to summarize patient data and binary logistic regression was used to test the crude and adjusted associations between adherence to physical activity recommendation and sociodemographic and clinical factors. For all the statistical analyses, significance was accepted at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Patients spent in average of 640 ± 121 min/day, 269 ± 94 min/day, 36 ± 27 min/day and 15 ± 16 min/day in sedentary, low-light, high-light and MVPA, respectively. The prevalence of patients who achieved physical activity recommendations was 3.4%. After adjustment for confounders, a significant inverse association was observed between adherence to physical activity recommendation and age (OR = 0.925; p = 0.004), while time of disease, ankle brachial index and total walking distance were not associated with this adherence criteria (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The patterns of physical activity of PAD patients are characterized by a large amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors and a low engagement in MVPA. Younger patients, regardless of the clinical and functional factors, were more likely to meet the current physical activity recommendations

Effects of isometric handgrip training on blood pressure among hypertensive patients seen within public primary healthcare: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Meta-analyses have demonstrated that isometric handgrip training (IHT) decreases blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. Nonetheless, most studies were conducted in laboratory settings and its effects in real-world settings remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of IHT on office and ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients attended within primary healthcare. DESIGN AND SETTING: Randomized controlled trial conducted in primary healthcare units within the Family Health Program, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. METHODS: 63 hypertensive patients (30-79 years old; 70% female) were randomly allocated into IHT or control groups. IHT was performed three times per week (4 x 2 minutes at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction, one-minute rest between bouts, alternating the hands). Before and after the 12-week training period, office and ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate variability were obtained. The significance level was set at P < 0.05 (two-tailed testing) for all analyses. RESULTS: IHT significantly decreased office systolic blood pressure (IHT: 129 ± 4 versus 121 ± 3 mmHg, P 0.05), whereas there was no effect on diastolic blood pressure (IHT: 83 ± 3 versus 79 ± 2 mmHg, P > 0.05; control: 81 ± 3 versus 77 ± 3 mmHg, P > 0.05). Heart rate variability and ambulatory blood pressure were not altered by the interventions (P > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: IHT reduced office systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients attended within primary care. However, there were effects regarding diastolic blood pressure, ambulatory blood pressure or heart rate variability. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03216317

Correlação entre a capacidade vital lenta e o tempo máximo de fonação em adultos saudáveis

Objetivo analisar o papel do tempo m&#225;ximo de fona&#231;&#227;o (TMF) como m&#233;todo de avalia&#231;&#227;o da capacidade vital lenta (CVL) e a poss&#237;vel correla&#231;&#227;o entre essas vari&#225;veis. M&#233;todos trata-se de um estudo do tipo transversal, crossover e a escolha entre as t&#233;cnicas foram realizadas de forma randomizada. Foram avaliados 101 indiv&#237;duos adultos saud&#225;veis de ambos os sexos sendo 71 mulheres. A CVL foi mensurada por meio do ventil&#244;metro, enquanto o TMF foi avaliado por meio da verbaliza&#231;&#227;o da vogal /a/, dos fonemas /s/ e /z/ e da contagem num&#233;rica. Resultados ao analisar a popula&#231;&#227;o total, observou-se uma significante correla&#231;&#227;o positiva entre a CVL e o TMF (/a/, /s/, /z/ e contagem num&#233;rica; R = 0,420, 0,442, 0,399 e 0,279, respectivamente com p < 0,05). Quando subdividida a amostra por sexo, apenas no sexo feminino foi verificada a exist&#234;ncia de correla&#231;&#227;o entre essas vari&#225;veis (R = 0,296, 0,334, 0,326 e 0,320 respectivamente com p < 0,05). Conclus&#227;o nesse estudo foi observada uma correla&#231;&#227;o positiva entre os valores de CVL e TMF para a popula&#231;&#227;o total e do sexo feminino, n&#227;o se verificando essa associa&#231;&#227;o entre os indiv&#237;duos do sexo masculino

ASSOCIAÇÃO ENTRE A ATIVIDADE FÍSICA DE LAZER E DE DESLOCAMENTO COM A VARIABILIDADE DA FREQUÊNCIA CARDÍACA EM ADOLESCENTES DO SEXO MASCULINO

RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar a associação entre parâmetros de variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC) e atividades físicas de lazer e deslocamento em adolescentes do sexo masculino. Métodos: A amostra incluiu 1.152 adolescentes do sexo masculino com idades entre 14 e 19 anos. A variação dos batimentos cardíacos consecutivos (intervalos entre duas ondas R sucessivas - RR) foi avaliada, e calcularam-se os parâmetros da VFC no tempo (desvio padrão de todos os intervalos RR - SDNN, raiz quadrada da média do quadrado das diferenças entre intervalos RR normais adjacentes - RMSSD, porcentagem dos intervalos RR adjacentes com diferença de duração maior que 50 ms - pNN50) e domínios de frequência (low frequency - LF/high frequency - HF). Informações sobre atividades físicas de lazer e deslocamento foram obtidas por meio de um questionário. Realizou-se regressão logística binária entre parâmetros de VFC e atividade física. Resultados: Foi descoberta associação entre atividades físicas de lazer e as variáveis SDNN, RMSSD e pNN50, mas não houve associação entre tais atividades e a razão LF/HF. Essas associações foram mais fortes entre adolescentes que se mantinham fisicamente ativos havia mais de seis meses. Atividades físicas de deslocamento não foram associadas a nenhum parâmetro de VFC. Jovens que praticavam atividades físicas de deslocamento e também se mantinham fisicamente ativos havia mais de seis meses apresentaram menor chance de ter baixa SDNN e RMSSD. Conclusões: Atividades físicas de lazer e de deslocamento foram associadas a melhor VFC, e tais associações foram reforçadas quando os adolescentes mantinham atividade física havia mais de seis meses. Atividade física de deslocamento não foi associada com os parâmetros da VFC, no entanto tal associação surgiu nos casos de adolescentes fisicamente ativos em atividades de deslocamento havia mais de seis meses

Proposta de utilização da técnica de contagem como preditor da capacidade vital lenta em indivíduos hospitalizados

OBJETIVO:avaliar se existe correlação entre a capacidade vital lenta e o tempo máximo de fonação, mais especificamente pela técnica de contagem numérica e se é possível a partir do tempo máximo de fonação estimar a capacidade vital lenta em indivíduos hospitalizados.MÉTODOS:trata-se de um estudo do tipo transversal, crossover e a escolha das técnicas (espirometria e técnica de contagem numérica) foram realizadas de forma randomizada (sorteio simples). A capacidade vital lenta foi mensurada por meio da espirometria e o tempo máximo de fonação foi avaliado a partir da técnica de contagem numérica.RESULTADOS:participaram da pesquisa 221 pacientes hospitalizados. Foi verificada uma correlação positiva entre a capacidade vital lenta e o tempo máximo de fonação avaliados de forma absoluta (r = 0,75; p < 0,001) e relativa (r = 0,76; p < 0,001). A partir da regressão linear simples dos dados, foram verificados equações das retas analisadas de forma absoluta, Capacidade vital lenta = 55 Técnica de contagem numérica + 735 (r2= 0,56; p < 0,0001) e relativa, Capacidade vital lenta = 0,84 Técnica de contagem numérica + 14 (r2= 0,57; p < 0,0001).CONCLUSÕES:os resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa mostraram uma boa correlação entre as técnicas avaliadas, sendo possível estimar a capacidade vital lenta a partir da técnica de contagem numérica em indivíduos hospitalizados

Association between active commuting and elevated blood pressure in adolescents

<div><p>ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the association between active commuting and blood pressure in adolescents. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with high school students from public education network in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data from 6039 students (14 to 19 years) were collected using a questionnaire. “Physically inactive” were considered those who reported not to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school on any day of the past week, and/or those who, regardless of the weekly frequency of practice this type of activity, reported the duration of commuting to school was less than 20 minutes (round trip). The high blood pressure was obtained by Omron HEM 742 equipment. Adolescents with high blood pressure were defined as those with higher blood pressure or equal to the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Regression logistic analyses were used to assess the association between active commuting and high blood pressure, considering adjustments for the following confounders: sex, age, overweight, total physical activity, socioeconomic level, place of residence. Results: The prevalence of high blood pressure was 7.3%, and 79.3% were considered insufficiently active in commuting. There was an association between high blood pressure and active commuting only among those living in rural areas (OR = 6.498; 95% CI = 1.513-27.900), and the same was not observed among those living in urban areas (OR = 1.113; 95% CI = 0.812-1.526). Conclusion: Active commuting can be considered a protective factor for high blood pressure in adolescents living in rural areas.</p></div

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data