Example for assessment of aortic remodeling at the inferior edge of the stentgraft with sufficient remodeling (A) and impaired remodeling (B).

<p>A: True lumen (*) is fully expanded, no false lumen is definable. B: False lumen (+) represents almost two-thirds of total aortic area at this intersection.</p

Example for measurement of the aortic diameter at level of the left subclavian artery (LSA) with Type B aortic dissention (+).

<p>CT (A) and IVUS (B) measurements at the level of the LSA (*). Penetraiting aortic ulcer (PAU) is shown in IVUS.</p

In more than 40%, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) leads to a different sizing strategy in aortic stent grafts.

<p>Shown are the distributions for changes in the sizing strategy made by IVUS in Valiant/Relay stent grafts (A) and GORE according to the recommended sizing chart (B). Further subdivision of the increases in stent graft sizes is presented in the smaller, right circles.</p

Measurements of true lumen (TL), false lumen (FL) and aortic diameter (AD) in both groups at the distal stent end (DSE), pulmonary artery (PA) and diaphragm (DP).

<p>Measurements of true lumen (TL), false lumen (FL) and aortic diameter (AD) in both groups at the distal stent end (DSE), pulmonary artery (PA) and diaphragm (DP).</p

Forest plot of time-domain parameter SDNN for 24-hour assessment presenting the impact of physical activity intervention in comparison to usual care or no intervention.

SD = standard deviation, SMD = standard mean difference, CI = confidence interval, SDNN = standard deviation of Normal-to-Normal intervals.</p

PRISMA flow chart illustrating steps and details of the identification and selection process for the systematic review.

PRISMA flow chart illustrating steps and details of the identification and selection process for the systematic review.</p

Patient demographics.

<p>Patient demographics.</p

Forest plot of subgroup analysis illustrating the impact of physical activity exercises on the time-domain parameter RMSSD related to investigated heart diseases.

RMSSD = root-mean-square difference of successive normal R-R intervals, SMD = standard mean difference, CI = confidence interval.</p

S12 Fig -

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents the modulatory capacity of the autonomous nervous system and influences mortality. By surveying this meta-analysis, we investigated the impact of physical activity on HRV.MethodsDatabases, online journal libraries and clinical trial registries were searched for publications of randomized controlled and non-randomized controlled trials concerning adults with coronary artery disease (CAD)/ischemic heart disease (IHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) joining an intervention group with physical activity or a control group with usual care or no intervention. Extracted time-domain and frequency-domain parameter of HRV were analyzed in a meta-analysis using a random effect model. Subgroup analyses concerning intervention type, study design and type of heart disease and sensitivity analysis were performed.ResultsSignificant results were obtained for RR-Interval (p = 0.05) and standard deviation of Normal-to-Normal intervals (SDNN) (p = 0.01) for short-term assessment and for the ratio of low-frequency power (LF) to high-frequency power (HF) (p = 0.05) for 24-hour assessment. Subgroup analyses also resulted significant: root-mean-square difference of successive normal R-R intervals (RMSSD) (p = 0.01), SDNN (p = 0.02) and HF (p ConclusionWe were able to demonstrate the positive impact of physical activity on HRV, especially in patients with CHF. Cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs need to be individualized to identify the most beneficial method of training for improving the prognosis of patients with CVD.</div

Risk of bias graph showing results of quality assessment for included RCTs without cross-over design concerning randomization process, deviations, missing outcome data, outcome measurement, selection of reported results and the resulting overall bias.

Risk of bias graph showing results of quality assessment for included RCTs without cross-over design concerning randomization process, deviations, missing outcome data, outcome measurement, selection of reported results and the resulting overall bias.</p