Effects of resistance training program on muscle mass and muscle strength and the relationship with cognition in Older Women

The aim of this study was to study the effects of a resistance training programme on Maximal Dynamic Strength (MDS) and muscle morphology of the upper limbs (UL) and lower limbs (LL), as well as to analyse their association with cognition, in a population of older women. The study had a duration of 24 months and a total of 93 Chilean older women participated. The participants were divided into two groups: The Physical Activity Group (PAG, n = 45, age (X ± SD) 77.93 ± 3.54 years), and the Sedentary Group (SG, n = 48, age (X ± SD) 77.71 ± 3.41 years). The PAG carried out a muscle strength training routine twice per week. The following variables were evaluated: Muscle function through maximal dynamic strength (1RM), muscle morphology through arm and calf circumference (AC and CC, respectively), and cognition (Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE). The results show that the SG recorded significant decreases (percent changes; p < 0.05) in the analysed variables: MMSE (-3.5%), MDS in UL (-3.3%), MDS in LL (-4.1%), AC (-4.5%), CC (-4.1%), and BMI (-3.1%). However, the PAG improved significantly in all the analysed variables except in BMI: MMSE (3.9%), MDS in UL (3.6%), MDS in LL (3.5%), AC (1.8%), and CC (2.5%). Moreover, there was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the changes in the muscle strength variables and the changes in cognition level. Therefore, it can be concluded that a two-year muscle strength training programme (load intensity between 30-55% 1RM) in older women improves Maximal Dynamic Strength in UL and LL, as well as muscle mass in arms and calves. Furthermore, it can be asserted that the changes in muscle strength levels could predict the changes in the levels of cognition in older women. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Training load and heart rate variability in acute exposure to hypobaric hypoxia: A case study

Objetivo: Analizar el control de la carga de entrenamientoen la estrategia de aclimatación empleada por dos atletas amateur (mujer y hombre) antes de una ascensión exitosa a 5460 metros. Metodología: Durante 195 días consecutivos se realizaron mediciones basales de variabilidad de la frecuencia cardiaca (VFC). Se obtuvieron cuatro muestras de sangre durante la semana previa al evento principal (Pre), inmediatamente antes de la ascensión (Pre A), después (Post A) y una semana de recuperación (Post C). Resultados:Los registros diarios de VFC matutinos parecen ser una forma útil para monitorizar el estado de equilibrio simpático-parasimpático en montañistas antes de abordar las sesiones de entrenamiento. Se observó que ambos sujetos aumentaron sus niveles de leucocitos y neutrófilos exhibiendo variaciones sobre 60% entre las condiciones pre A y post B. Eritrocitos, hematocrito y hemoglobina presentaron tras la exposición aguda a 5460 m disminuciones, lo que coincide conlas diferencias porcentuales en plaquetas entre ambos sujetos (-3% y -51%). Conclusiones: Los registros diarios de VFC matutinos y de 5 minutos de duración parecen ser una forma útil para monitorizar el estado de equilibrio simpático-parasimpático. Se observaron cambios significativos en algunas células de la serie blanca.Aim: To analyzethe control of training load for an acclimatization strategy employed by two amateur athletes (female and male) prior to a successful ascent to 5460 meters. Methodology:Baseline heart rate variability (HRV) measurements were taken for 195 consecutive days. Four blood samples were taken the week before the main event (Pre), pre-ascent (Pre A), post-ascent (Post A), and one-week post-ascent (Post C). Results:Daily morning HRV recordings were useful for monitoring the state of sympathetic-parasympathetic balance in mountaineers prior to tackling training sessions. Both subjects had increased leukocytes and neutrophil levels, exhibiting variations over 60% between pre-A and post-B conditions. Erythrocytes, hematocrit, and haemoglobin decreased after acute exposure to 5460 m, coinciding with changes in platelet levels between both subjects (-3% and -51%). Conclusions:Daily morning and 5-min HRV recordings are a useful way for monitoring the state of sympathetic-parasympathetic balance. Significant changes were observed in some white blood cells

Carga de entrenamiento y variabilidad de la frecuencia cardiaca en una exposición aguda a la hipoxia hipobárica: Estudio de caso

Objetivo: Analizar el control de la carga de entrenamiento en la estrategia de aclimatación empleada por dos atletas amateur (mujer y hombre) antes de una ascensión exitosa a 5460 metros. Metodología: Durante 195 días consecutivos se realizaron mediciones basales de variabilidad de la frecuencia cardiaca (VFC). Se obtuvieron cuatro muestras de sangre durante la semana previa al evento principal (Pre), inmediatamente antes de la ascensión (Pre A), después (Post A) y una semana de recuperación (Post C). Resultados: Los registros diarios de VFC matutinos parecen ser una forma útil para monitorizar el estado de equilibrio simpático-parasimpático en montañistas antes de abordar las sesiones de entrenamiento. Se observó que ambos sujetos aumentaron sus niveles de leucocitos y neutrófilos exhibiendo variaciones sobre 60% entre las condiciones pre A y post B. Eritrocitos, hematocrito y hemoglobina presentaron tras la exposición aguda a 5460 m disminuciones, lo que coincide con las diferencias porcentuales en plaquetas entre ambos sujetos (-3% y -51%). Conclusiones: Los registros diarios de VFC matutinos y de 5 minutos de duración parecen ser una forma útil para monitorizar el estado de equilibrio simpático-parasimpático. Se observaron cambios significativos en algunas células de la serie blanca

A cold wave of winter 2021 in central South America: characteristics and impacts

During the austral winter (June–August) of 2021, the meteorological services of Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Chile all issued forecasts for unusually cold conditions. Record-low minimum temperatures and cold spells were documented, including one strong cold wave episode that affected 5 countries. In this study, we define a cold wave as a period in which daily maximum and minimum air temperatures are below the corresponding climatological 10th percentile for three or more consecutive days. The intense cold wave event in the last week of June, 2021, resulted in record-breaking minimum daily temperatures in several places in central South America and Chile. Several locations had temperatures about 10 °C below average, central South America had freezing conditions, and southern Brazil even saw snow. The cold air surge was characterized by an intense upper-air trough located close to 35° S and 70° W. The southerly flow to the west of this trough brought very cold air northward into subtropical and tropical South America. A northward flow between the lower-level cyclonic and anticyclonic perturbations caused the intense southerly flow between the upper-level ridge and trough. This condition facilitated the inflow of near-surface cold air from southern Argentina into southeastern Brazil and tropical South America east of the Andes. In the city of São Paulo, the cold wave caused the death of 13 homeless people from hypothermia. Frost and snow across southern and southeastern Brazil caused significant damage to coffee, sugarcane, oranges, grapes, and other fruit and vegetable crops. Wine and coffee production fell, the latter by 30%, and prices of food and commodities in the region rose

Efecto agudo de ejercicio isométrico sobre parámetros autonómicos en adultos sedentarios obesos y con sobrepeso

Introduction: Obesity is understood as a chronic inflammation associated with complications in the autonomic nervous system dysfunction related to cardiovascular diseases. And isometric exercise, represented by manual grip strength, favors the reduction of cardiovascular risk and autonomic imbalance. Objective: to describe the acute response of an isometric exercise (IE) compared to the effect of an aerobic exercise (AE), analyzing the autonomic parameters of heart rate variability (LF/HF), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) in obese and overweight people. Methodology: 20 participants were randomly distributed into 2 groups; those who performed an aerobic exercise session on a cycle ergometer for 15 min at 50 watts (n=10) and those who performed an IE session at 30% of maximal strength (n=10). Both were evaluated pre and post intervention, the variables were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U statistical test with a significance level of p&lt;0.05. Results: IE produced statistically significant changes in SBP (p= 0.001), LH/HF (p=0.02) and HR (p=0.018), while DBP improved, but not significantly. Conclusions: an EI session generates a greater decrease than EA in HRV, HR and SBP variables.Introducción: La obesidad es entendida como una inflamación crónica asociada a complicaciones en la disfunción del sistema nervioso autónomo relacionada con enfermedades cardiovasculares. Y el ejercicio isométrico, representado por la fuerza de prensión manual, favorece la reducción del riesgo cardiovascular y al desequilibrio autonómico. Objetivo: describir la respuesta aguda de un ejercicio isométrico (EI) comparándolo con el efecto de un ejercicio aeróbico (EA), analizando los parámetros autonómicos de variabilidad de la frecuencia cardiaca (LF/HF), presión arterial diastólica (PAD), sistólica (PAS) y la frecuencia cardiaca (FC) en personas obesos y en sobrepeso. Metodología: 20 participantes fueron distribuidos al azar en 2 grupos; los que realizaron una sesión de ejercicio aeróbico en cicloergómetro durante 15 min a 50 watts (n=10) y los que realizaron una sesión de EI al 30% de la fuerza máxima. Ambos fueron evaluados pre y post intervención, se analizaron las variables mediante la prueba estadística U de Mann-Whitney con un nivel de significancia p&lt;0,05. Resultados: El EI produjo cambios estadísticamente significativos en PAS (p= 0,001), LH/HF (p = 0,02) y FC (p=0,01), mientras que la PAD mejoró, pero no de forma significativa. Conclusiones: una sesión de EI, genera una mayor disminución que el EA en las variables de VFC, FC y PAS

Analysis and Purification of Bioactive Natural Products: The AnaPurNa Study

Based on a meta-analysis of data mined from almost 2000 publications on bioactive natural products (NPs) from >80 000 pages of 13 different journals published in 1998−1999, 2004−2005, and 2009−2010, the aim of this systematic review is to provide both a survey of the status quo and a perspective for analytical methodology used for isolation and purity assessment of bioactive NPs. The study provides numerical measures of the common means of sourcing NPs, the chromatographic methodology employed for NP purification, and the role of spectroscopy and purity assessment in NP characterization. A link is proposed between the observed use of various analytical methodologies, the challenges posed by the complexity of metabolomes, and the inescapable residual complexity of purified NPs and their biological assessment. The data provide inspiration for the development of innovative methods for NP analysis as a means of advancing the role of naturally occurring compounds as a viable source of biologically active agents with relevance for human health and global benefit

Impact of common cardio-metabolic risk factors on fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease in Latin America and the Caribbean: an individual-level pooled analysis of 31 cohort studies

Background: Estimates of the burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) rely on relative risks (RRs) from non-LAC countries. Whether these RRs apply to LAC remains un- known. Methods: We pooled LAC cohorts. We estimated RRs per unit of exposure to body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC) and non-HDL cholesterol on fatal (31 cohorts, n = 168,287) and non-fatal (13 cohorts, n = 27,554) cardiovascular diseases, adjusting for regression dilution bias. We used these RRs and national data on mean risk factor levels to estimate the number of cardiovascular deaths attributable to non-optimal levels of each risk factor. Results: Our RRs for SBP, FPG and TC were like those observed in cohorts conducted in high-income countries; however, for BMI, our RRs were consistently smaller in people below 75 years of age. Across risk factors, we observed smaller RRs among older ages. Non-optimal SBP was responsible for the largest number of attributable cardiovascular deaths ranging from 38 per 10 0,0 0 0 women and 54 men in Peru, to 261 (Dominica, women) and 282 (Guyana, men). For non-HDL cholesterol, the lowest attributable rate was for women in Peru (21) and men in Guatemala (25), and the largest in men (158) and women (142) from Guyana. Interpretation: RRs for BMI from studies conducted in high-income countries may overestimate disease burden metrics in LAC; conversely, RRs for SBP, FPG and TC from LAC cohorts are similar to those esti- mated from cohorts in high-income countries

The impact of multimorbidity on adult physical and mental health in low- and middle-income countries: what does the study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE) reveal?

BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases contribute a large share of disease burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Chronic diseases have a tendency to occur simultaneously and where there are two or more such conditions, this is termed as 'multimorbidity'. Multimorbidity is associated with adverse health outcomes, but limited research has been undertaken in LMICs. Therefore, this study examines the prevalence and correlates of multimorbidity as well as the associations between multimorbidity and self-rated health, activities of daily living (ADLs), quality of life, and depression across six LMICs. METHODS: Data was obtained from the WHO's Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave-1 (2007/10). This was a cross-sectional population based survey performed in LMICs, namely China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa, including 42,236 adults aged 18 years and older. Multimorbidity was measured as the simultaneous presence of two or more of eight chronic conditions including angina pectoris, arthritis, asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, and vision impairment. Associations with four health outcomes were examined, namely ADL limitation, self-rated health, depression, and a quality of life index. Random-intercept multilevel regression models were used on pooled data from the six countries. RESULTS: The prevalence of morbidity and multimorbidity was 54.2 % and 21.9 %, respectively, in the pooled sample of six countries. Russia had the highest prevalence of multimorbidity (34.7 %) whereas China had the lowest (20.3 %). The likelihood of multimorbidity was higher in older age groups and was lower in those with higher socioeconomic status. In the pooled sample, the prevalence of 1+ ADL limitation was 14 %, depression 5.7 %, self-rated poor health 11.6 %, and mean quality of life score was 54.4. Substantial cross-country variations were seen in the four health outcome measures. The prevalence of 1+ ADL limitation, poor self-rated health, and depression increased whereas quality of life declined markedly with an increase in number of diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the challenge of multimorbidity in LMICs, particularly among the lower socioeconomic groups, and the pressing need for reorientation of health care resources considering the distribution of multimorbidity and its adverse effect on health outcomes