Aerobic training protects cardiac function during advancing age: a meta-analysis of four decades of controlled studies

In contrast to younger athletes, there is comparatively less literature examining cardiac structure and function in older athletes. However, a progressive accumulation of studies during the past four decades offers a body of literature worthy of systematic scrutiny. We conducted a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of controlled echocardiography studies comparing left ventricular (LV) structure and function in aerobically trained older athletes (> 45 years) with age-matched untrained controls, in addition to investigating the influence of chronological age. statistic. , 95% CI 0.05-1.86, p = 0.04). Meta-regression for chronological age identified that athlete-control differences, in the main, are maintained during advancing age. Athletic older men have larger cardiac dimensions and enjoy more favourable cardiac function than healthy, non-athletic counterparts. Notably, the athlete groups maintain these effects during chronological ageing

Ecological commonalities among pelagic fishes: comparison of freshwater ciscoes and marine herring and sprat

Systematic comparisons of the ecology between functionally similar fish species from freshwater and marine aquatic systems are surprisingly rare. Here, we discuss commonalities and differences in evolutionary history, population genetics, reproduction and life history, ecological interactions, behavioural ecology and physiological ecology of temperate and Arctic freshwater coregonids (vendace and ciscoes, Coregonus spp.) and marine clupeids (herring, Clupea harengus, and sprat, Sprattus sprattus). We further elucidate potential effects of climate warming on these groups of fish based on the ecological features of coregonids and clupeids documented in the previous parts of the review. These freshwater and marine fishes share a surprisingly high number of similarities. Both groups are relatively short-lived, pelagic planktivorous fishes. The genetic differentiation of local populations is weak and seems to be in part correlated to an astonishing variability of spawning times. The discrete thermal window of each species influences habitat use, diel vertical migrations and supposedly also life history variations. Complex life cycles and preference for cool or cold water make all species vulnerable to the effects of global warming. It is suggested that future research on the functional interdependence between spawning time, life history characteristics, thermal windows and genetic differentiation may profit from a systematic comparison of the patterns found in either coregonids or clupeids

Hospital volume of throughput and periprocedural and medium-term adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention: retrospective cohort study of all 17,417 procedures undertaken in Scotland, 1997-2003

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospital volume of throughput is associated with periprocedural and medium‐term events, and whether any associations are independent of differences in case mix. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of all PCIs undertaken in Scottish National Health Service hospitals over a six‐year period. METHODS: All PCIs in Scotland during 1997–2003 were examined. Linkage to administrative databases identified events over two years' follow up. The risk of events by hospital volume at 30 days and two years was compared by using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Of the 17 417 PCIs, 4900 (28%) were in low‐volume hospitals and 3242 (19%) in high‐volume hospitals. After adjustment for case mix, there were no significant differences in risk of death or myocardial infarction. Patients treated in high‐volume hospitals were less likely to require emergency surgery (adjusted odds ratio 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07 to 0.54, p  =  0.002). Over two years, patients in high‐volume hospitals were less likely to undergo surgery (adjusted hazard ratio 0.52, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.75, p  =  0.001), but this was offset by an increased likelihood of further PCI. There was no net difference in coronary revascularisation or in overall events. CONCLUSION: Death and myocardial infarction were infrequent complications of PCI and did not differ significantly by volume. Emergency surgery was less common in high‐volume hospitals. Over two years, patients treated in high‐volume centres were as likely to undergo some form of revascularisation but less likely to undergo surgery