Cardiac autonomic impairment and chronotropic incompetence in fibromyalgia

Abstract\ud \ud \ud \ud Introduction\ud \ud We aimed to gather knowledge on the cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in response to exercise and to investigate whether this population suffers from chronotropic incompetence (CI).\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud Fourteen women with FM (age: 46 ± 3 years; body mass index (BMI): 26.6 ± 1.4 kg/m2) and 14 gender-, BMI- (25.4 ± 1.3 kg/m2), and age-matched (age: 41 ± 4 years) healthy individuals (CTRL) took part in this cross-sectional study. A treadmill cardiorespiratory test was performed and heart-rate (HR) response during exercise was evaluated by the chronotropic reserve. HR recovery (deltaHRR) was defined as the difference between HR at peak exercise and at both first (deltaHRR1) and second (deltaHRR2) minutes after the exercise test.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud FM patients presented lower maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) when compared with healthy subjects (22 ± 1 versus CTRL: 32 ± 2 mL/kg/minute, respectively; P < 0.001). Additionally, FM patients presented lower chronotropic reserve (72.5 ± 5 versus CTRL: 106.1 ± 6, P < 0.001), deltaHRR1 (24.5 ± 3 versus CTRL: 32.6 ± 2, P = 0.059) and deltaHRR2 (34.3 ± 4 versus CTRL: 50.8 ± 3, P = 0.002) than their healthy peers. The prevalence of CI was 57.1% among patients with FM.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud Patients with FM who undertook a graded exercise test may present CI and delayed HR recovery, both being indicative of cardiac autonomic impairment and higher risk of cardiovascular events and mortality.This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Grant 2009/51897-5)

Assessment of physical activity level and physical capacity in patients with primary Sjögren´s syndrome of mild disease activity

A Síndrome de Sjögren primária (SSp) é uma doença autoimune sistêmica de etiologia desconhecida, caracterizada principalmente, pela presença de infiltrado linfocítico nas glândulas exócrinas (salivares e lacrimais) que leva ao quadro de boca seca e olhos secos (síndrome sicca). Apesar das evidências de que o nível de atividade física e das capacidades física e funcional estarem diminuídas na maioria das doenças reumáticas, essas variáveis tem sido pouco estudadas em pacientes com SSp. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar objetivamente o nível de atividade física e as capacidades físicas de pacientes com SSp com baixo nível de atividade da doença, bem como, a possível associação desses fatores com a fadiga, a qualidade de vida, a artralgia e a depressão. Trinta pacientes diagnosticadas com SSp (Vitali et al., 2002) utilizaram acelerômetros por 7 dias consecutivos para avaliação do nível de atividade física, realizaram teste ergoespirométrico, testes de força, testes funcionais, exames laboratoriais, densitometria óssea e responderam a questionários de fadiga, qualidade de vida, depressão e artralgia. Os pacientes com SSp apresentaram menor tempo em atividades físicas moderadas e menor quantidade de passos por dia do que o grupo controle. Os pacientes apresentaram ainda redução da aptidão aeróbia, da força muscular de membros inferiores e superiores, da capacidade funcional e da qualidade de vida, além de fadiga aumentada em comparação com o GC. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas para a composição corporal, artralgia e depressão entre os grupos. Pacientes com SSp mesmo em baixa atividade da doença mantêm um estilo de vida sedentário e redução das capacidades físicas e qualidade de vida. Faz-se necessária a implementação de estratégias que reduzam o tempo gasto em atividades sedentárias, bem como, a elaboração de programas de exercícios físicos sistematizados de acordo com as características dessa populaçãoPrimary Sjögren´s syndrome (PSS) is a systemic autoimune disease of unknown aetiology characterized by lymphocytic infiltration in the exocrine glands (salivary and lacrimal) hwhich leads to dry mouth and dry eyes (sicca syndrome). Despite the evidence that physical activity level and physical and functional capabilities are reduced in most rheumatic diseases, these variables have been poorly studied in patients with pSS. The objective of this study was to objectively assess the physical activity level and the physical capacities of patients with pSS with mild disease activity, as well as the possible association of these factors with fatigue, quality of life, arthralgia and depression. Thirty patients diagnosed with pSS (Vitali et al., 2002) used accelerometers for 7 consecutive days to assess the physical activity level. They performed cardiopulmonary exercise test, strength tests, functional tests, laboratory tests, bone densitometry and answered questionnaires of fatigue, quality of life, depression and arthralgia. Patients with pSS showed less time in moderate physical activities and fewer steps per day than the control group. The patients also showed reduced aerobic conditioning, muscle strength of upper and lower limbs, functional capacity and quality of life, and also increased fatigue compared to the control group. No significant differences were found for body composition, arthralgia and depression between the groups. Patients with pSS, even with mild disease activity, maintain a sedentary lifestyle and reduced physical capacity and quality of life. It is necessary to implement strategies that reduce time spent on sedentary activities, as well as to elaborate physical exercise programs in accordance to the characteristics of this populatio