Effect of enhanced external counterpulsation and cardiac rehabilitation on quality of life, plasma nitric oxide, endothelin 1 and high sensitive CRP in patients with coronary artery disease: A pilot study

Objective To investigate the effect of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) on plasma nitric oxide (NO), Endothelin 1 (ET1), high sensitive C-reactive protein (HSCRP) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Methods We conducted a pilot randomized clinical trial in order to evaluate plasma NO, ET1, HSCRP and QoL before and after twenty sessions of EECP (group A) and cardiac rehabilitation (CR, group B) in 42 patients with CAD (21 in each group).Results Forty-two patients (33 male and 9 female) were included in the study. The mean age was 58.2±10 years. The mean HSCRP was 1.52±0.7 in the EECP group and it was reduced to 1.27±0.4 after intervention. The reduction in HSCRP was not statistically significant in EECP and CR groups with p=0.33 and p=0.27, respectively. There was not significant improvement of NO, ET1, and QoL in the EECP and CR groups shortly after therapy (p>0.05).Conclusion Although the short-term EECP treatment in CAD patients improved HSCRP, NO, ET1, and QoL compared with the baseline those improvements are not statistically significant. Further studies are necessary with large study groups and more sessions. © 2015 by Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine

Gender Differences of the Mastication Patterns in Humans

Nineteen young healthy subjects were offered a morsel of the hard (walnut) and soft (cake) food, while surface EMG was recorded bilaterally from the masseter muscles. The duration of the entire sequence of chewing, chewing rate, number of chewing cycles, time/cycle ratio, and mean and maximum EMG amplitudes of the above muscles were compared in women and men (n = 12 and 7, respectively). The duration of the whole chewing sequence for the soft food and duration of a single chewing cycle for both food types were significantly longer in women (P = 0.000). The masticatory frequencies for both food types were significantly greater in men (soft food: 0.98 ± 0.18 and 1.79 ± 0.18 sec–1, hard food: 1.25 ± 0.29 and 2.03 ± ± 0.32 sec–1 in women and men, respectively; P = 0.000). The numbers of chewing cycles for both food types were statistically similar (P = 0.38 and P = 0.67). The mean and maximum EMG amplitude were found to be nearly similar in women and men, except for the mean amplitude of the right EMG at soft food chewing was significantly higher in men (P = 0.02). Thus, chewing in women occurs, in general, more slowly, while masseter muscle activities are rather similar. The food consistency exerts a mild overall influence on the gender differences of chewing.19 молодим здоровим випробуваним пропонували з’їсти невелику порцію твердої (волоський горіх) або м’якої (торт) їжі; в цей час відводили білатерально ЕМГ-активність жувальних м’язів. Тривалість усього епізоду жування, частота жувальних рухів, кількість жувальних циклів, тривалість окремого циклу, а також середні та максимальні амплітуди ЕМГ, відведених від вказаних м’язів, порівнювали у жінок і чоловіків (n = 12 і 7 відповідно). Тривалість усього епізоду жування м’якої їжі та тривалості окремого циклу для їжі обох типів були вірогідно більшими у жінок (P = 0.000). Частоти жувальних рухів для їжі обох типів були значно вищими у чоловіків (м’яка їжа: 0.98 ± 0.18 і 1.79 ± 0.18 с–1, тверда їжа: 1.25 ± 0.29 і 2.03 ± 0.32 с–1 у жінок і чоловіків відповідно; P = 0.000). Число циклів жування для їжі обох типів не демонструвало вірогідної різниці (P = 0.38 і P = 0.67). Середня і максимальна амплітуди ЕМГ були майже однаковими у жінок і чоловіків. Єдиним винятком була вища амплітуда ЕМГ справа у чоловіків при жуванні м’якої їжі (P = 0.02). Таким чином, жування у жінок відбувається в цілому повільніше, в той час як м’язова жувальна активність у представників різних статей є досить подібною. Консистенція їжі в цілому слабко впливає на гендерні відмінності процесу жування

Combination of Exercise and Acupuncture Versus Acupuncture Alone for Treatment of Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common musculoskeletal disorder. This study was designed to compare the effects of aerobic exercise plus acupuncture with acupuncture alone in treatment of patients with MPS. Sixty-four patients (55 female and 9 male) with MPS in their neck and shoulders participated in the study with mean age of 33.1 ± 6.4 years. Participants were randomly allocated to aerobic exercise plus acupuncture (n = 32) or acupuncture alone (n = 32) groups. Outcome measurements included visual analog scale, pressure pain threshold, neck disability index, and quality of life that was measured with QoL-SF36 scale. Each group received 10 sessions of acupuncture in combination with aerobic exercise or acupuncture alone. The outcome measures were evaluated at baseline, at the end of the last treatment session, and at 1-month follow-up visit. While participants were waiting for their 1-month follow-up visit, the patients who received combination therapy were asked to continue their aerobic exercise by jogging 40 minutes a day. Although mean visual analog scale, pressure pain threshold, neck disability index, and QoL-SF36 were significantly improved in both groups (p 0.29). © 201

Combination of Exercise and Acupuncture Versus Acupuncture Alone for Treatment of Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common musculoskeletal disorder. This study was designed to compare the effects of aerobic exercise plus acupuncture with acupuncture alone in treatment of patients with MPS. Sixty-four patients (55 female and 9 male) with MPS in their neck and shoulders participated in the study with mean age of 33.1 ± 6.4 years. Participants were randomly allocated to aerobic exercise plus acupuncture (n = 32) or acupuncture alone (n = 32) groups. Outcome measurements included visual analog scale, pressure pain threshold, neck disability index, and quality of life that was measured with QoL-SF36 scale. Each group received 10 sessions of acupuncture in combination with aerobic exercise or acupuncture alone. The outcome measures were evaluated at baseline, at the end of the last treatment session, and at 1-month follow-up visit. While participants were waiting for their 1-month follow-up visit, the patients who received combination therapy were asked to continue their aerobic exercise by jogging 40 minutes a day. Although mean visual analog scale, pressure pain threshold, neck disability index, and QoL-SF36 were significantly improved in both groups (p 0.29). © 201