Gender and age-dependent differences in body composition changes in response to cardiac rehabilitation exercise training in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the standard procedure in persons after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Its basic aim is to combat coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors through physical activity and normalization of body mass. Many authors highlight the differences in response to training in CR as dependent on gender, age and occurrence of accompanying disease. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a three-week early CR in reference to changing body composition parameters in patients over 50 years of age. The study involved a random group of 65 patients (44 men and 21 women) between the ages of 50–76 (average: 62.6 ± 7.2) years with CHD following CABG. Anthropometric and body composition (bioelectrical impedance method) measurements were taken at the commencement of CR and after the training programme. After CR, body mass and body mass index were reduced in men < 65 and ≥ 65 years, and in women <65 years. A reduction % body fat and increase % fat free mass and % total body water was observed only in patients <65. years. Furthermore, in men < 65 years, an increase in % body cell mass was observed. In women ≥ 65 years, no statistically significant changes were observed in body fat indices and body composition features between initial and final study. Patients ≥ 65 years of age following surgery over a period of hospital cardiac rehabilitation do not experience the same significant improvement in body composition parameters associated with risk of CHD as middle-aged adults. Older women post-cardiac surgery are characterized by a higher disability index in relation to tolerance to physical stress in comparison with men of the same age and persons < 65 years of age

Socio-Demographic and General Health Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors from Southwestern Poland

Background: Identification of factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors can contribute to better functioning in this group of patients. The study aimed to assess the association between QOL and anthropometric, sociodemographic, and medical characteristics in postmastectomy women from southwestern Poland, 9.4 (±6.5) years after completed treatment. Materials and methods: QOL was estimated with the SF-36v2 questionnaire in 250 survivors aged 62.8 (±8.0) years with previously histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer. Results: Women in this study rated their overall QOL with an average of 60.7 (±17.9), Mental Component Summary of 62.8 (±19.8), and Physical Component Summary of 57.5 (±18.8) points. The use of multivariate regression analysis revealed that depression, chronic diseases, abdominal obesity, and pregnancy history have a statistically significant negative effect on the QOL of women after mastectomy, whereas participation in regular physical activity, living with a partner, the education level ≥ 12 years, and living in the city were associated with a higher QOL assessment. There were no significant relationships between QOL and the age, time since surgery, type of treatment, smoking, and occupational status of the patients. Conclusions: Health education, greater social support, specialist care in the treatment of comorbidities, and propagation of a physically active lifestyle can improve the physical and mental functioning of breast cancer survivors long after diagnosis and treatment

Eating Habits, Risk of Breast Cancer, and Diet-Dependent Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women after Mastectomy

The present study examined dietary risk factors for breast cancer, their association with quality of life, and changes in eating habits in postmenopausal women after mastectomy. The study included 210 women with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer and 225 women without a cancer diagnosis. Questionnaire data on frequency of intake of 40 different foods, the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, and SF-36 for evaluation of quality of life were used. All questionnaire data in the patient group were collected after diagnosis. Questions about eating habits covered two time points&mdash;before breast cancer diagnosis and after completion of treatment. Logistic regression was applied to calculate the odds ratios of breast cancer risk and 95% confidence intervals. A significant positive association was found between the risk of breast cancer and more frequent intake of red meat, smoked products, offal, animal fat, white bread, potatoes, and sweets, high intake of total fat, and low consumption of dietary fibre. Foods that were inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer included fish, vegetables, fruit, wholemeal bread, and groats. The relationship between quality of life and dietary habits according to the Block Eating Frequency Questionnaire was analysed using multiple regression. It was shown that high intake of total fat reduces the quality of life in its mental components. We observed a positive change in eating habits after cancer diagnosis, albeit not always to the level in the control group. As an important lifestyle component, the diet is of great significance for primary prevention of breast cancer as well as for improving the quality of life of breast cancer patients

Changes in blood pressure and in temperature distribution within the hand, after applying the Hines-Brown test in pregnant women with gestational hypertension

Wstęp. Przedstawiona praca dotyczy mało znanego problemu, jakim jest wpływ zimna na zachowanie się ciśnienia krwi oraz zmiany w temperaturze ochładzanej części ciała u kobiet w ciąży. Materiał i metody. W eksperymencie brało łącznie udział 38 młodych kobiet, podzielonych na trzy grupy: kobiety bez nadciśnienia indukowanego ciążą (grupa I), kobiety z nadciśnieniem indukowanym ciążą (grupa II), kobiety niebędące w ciąży (grupa III). W badaniu wykorzystano test oziębieniowy Hinesa-Browna (CPT), uzupełniony o badanie termowizyjne. Wyniki. Zastosowanie próby CPT spowodowało wzrost ciśnienia skurczowego i rozkurczowego w każdej z badanych grup. Największa różnica wartości ciśnienia skurczowego przed i po zastosowaniu testu CPT wystąpiła u kobiet z grupy II. W grupie tej najwyższe były też wartości ciśnienia rozkurczowego krwi po zastosowaniu testu CPT oraz największy spadek temperatury w ręce badanej, zarówno po stronie dłoniowej jak i grzbietowej. Oziębienie jednej ręki spowodowało również spadek temperatury ręki niechłodzonej, znacznie mniejszy w grupie kobiet ciężarnych w porównaniu do grupy nieciężarnych studentek. Wnioski. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na konieczność prowadzenia dalszych badań w kierunku lepszego zrozumienia mechanizmów związanych z reakcjami kobiet w ciąży na bodźce temperaturowe.Background. This work concerns a little-known problem which is the effect of cold on the behaviour of blood pressure and changes in temperature of a cooled part of the body in pregnant women. Material and methods. The experiment involved a total of 38 young women divided into three groups: women without pregnancy-induced hypertension (group I), women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (group II), and women who were not pregnant (group III). The study used the cold pressor test (CPT) devised by Hines and Brown, accompanied by a thermal imaging test. Results. The cold pressor test resulted in increased systolic and diastolic pressure in each of the studied groups. The largest difference in systolic pressure values before and after the CPT occurred in the subjects from group II. In this group, after the test, the values of diastolic blood pressure as well as the temperature drop in the tested hand, both on the palmar and dorsal side, were also the highest. The cooling of one hand also caused a drop in temperature of the uncooled hand, much smaller in the group of pregnant women compared to the group of non-pregnant subjects. Conclusions. The obtained results indicate the need for further research towards a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with the reactions of pregnant women to temperature stimuli

Gender and age-dependent differences in body composition changes in response to cardiac rehabilitation exercise training in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the standard procedure in persons after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Its basic aim is to combat coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors through physical activity and normalization of body mass. Many authors highlight the differences in response to training in CR as dependent on gender, age and occurrence of accompanying disease. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a three-week early CR in reference to changing body composition parameters in patients over 50 years of age. The study involved a random group of 65 patients (44 men and 21 women) between the ages of 50–76 (average: 62.6 ± 7.2) years with CHD following CABG. Anthropometric and body composition (bioelectrical impedance method) measurements were taken at the commencement of CR and after the training programme. After CR, body mass and body mass index were reduced in men < 65 and ≥ 65 years, and in women <65 years. A reduction % body fat and increase % fat free mass and % total body water was observed only in patients <65. years. Furthermore, in men < 65 years, an increase in % body cell mass was observed. In women ≥ 65 years, no statistically significant changes were observed in body fat indices and body composition features between initial and final study. Patients ≥ 65 years of age following surgery over a period of hospital cardiac rehabilitation do not experience the same significant improvement in body composition parameters associated with risk of CHD as middle-aged adults. Older women post-cardiac surgery are characterized by a higher disability index in relation to tolerance to physical stress in comparison with men of the same age and persons < 65 years of age

Effect of centrifuge test on blood serum lipids index of cadet pilots

[b][/b]Introduction and objective. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the lipid index (WS) in the examined cadets and duration of exposure to +Gz in the human centrifuge. Materials and methods. The study involved 19 first-year cadets of the Polish Air Force Academy in Dęblin. Tests in the human centrifuge were repeated twice, i.e. prior to (test I) and 45 days after (test II). After exposure to +Gz, the examined cadets were divided into 2 groups. Group I (N=11) included cadets subjected to a shorter total duration of exposure to +Gz, while group II (N=8) included cadets with a longer total duration of exposure to +Gz. Total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), and apolipoproteins A[sub]1[/sub] and B were assayed in blood serum prior to (assay A) and after (assay B) both exposures to +Gz. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) level was estimated from the Friedewald formula. WS is an own mathematical algorithm. Results. WS was higher in group II, assay A – 10.0 and B – 10.08 of test I in the human centrifuge than in group I where the WS values were 6.91 and 6.96, respectively. WS was also higher in group II in assay A – 10.0 and B -10.1 of test II in the human centrifuge than in group I – 6.96 and 6.80, respectively. Conclusions. The higher value of WS in group II, both after the first and second exposure to +Gz in human centrifuge, in comparison with group I, indicated its usefulness for determination of the maximum capability of applying acceleration of the interval type during training in the human centrifuge

Thermovision Analysis Changes of Human Hand Surface Temperature in Cold Pressor Test

The cold pressor test (CTP) as a diagnostic method of the circulatory system reactivity may be a basis for the qualification for thermal stimulation therapy. The aim of the work was a thermovisual assessment of the reaction to the Hines and Brown cold pressor test. A group of 30 healthy men in the age of 23.5 ± 0.8 years were examined. The average weight of the examinees was 78.4 ± 9.2 kg, their height 180.7 ± 5.9 cms, and BMI 23.9 ± 2.2 kg/m2. A thermovisual picture of a tested and not tested hand of all the subjects was taken before and after the cold pressor test. Under the influence of cold water the surface temperature of a tested hand has decreased in a statistically significant way by 8.3°C on average, which is 29% of the temperature before the test, whilst the temperature of an untested hand dropped by 0.67°C. The decreases of temperature were not even and there was a statistically significant difference between the dorsal and palmar side of the hand. The correlation between the changes of systolic blood pressure and the hand surface temperature before and after CTP was observed

Effect of resistance training with elements of stretching on body composition and quality of life in postmenopausal women

Introduction: Physical activity in elderly persons contributes to prevention and treatment of chronic disease and, through its influence on the musculoskeletal system, increases physical capability and improves mental function. Aim of the study was to assess the effect of resistance training with elements of stretching on body composition and quality of life in women of postmenopausal age. Material and methods : Thirty-eight postmenopausal women aged 62.5 ±5.8 years were randomly divided into two groups. One group participated in an 8-week training program (60 minutes, twice weekly; 4 MET [metabolic equivalent] 2 hours/week). The second group performed no training. A comparison was made of body composition and quality of life (SF-36 Health Survey) prior to and after 8 weeks of training. Results: In the training group, after 8 weeks there was a significant reduction in body fat (in %; p = 0.028), and an increase in fat-free mass (in %; p = 0.025) and total body water (in %; p = 0.021), which indicates increased muscle mass. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in the assessment of quality of life in physical (role-physical [RP], bodily pain [BP], general health [GH] scales; p < 0.005) and mental health (vitality [VT] scale; p = 0.05). In the non-exercising group no changes were observed in features examined in the initial and final test. Conclusions : Resistance training with elements of stretching in postmenopausal women improved body composition to achieve a reduction in risk factors associated with excess fatty tissue and muscle mass deficiency. It raises the quality of life in terms of both physical and mental function