Publications by authors named "A W Harmer"
Article Synopsis
- Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant health problem that leads to chronic pain and decreased quality of life, with exercise being a recommended self-management strategy as there is currently no cure.
- This review evaluates the effectiveness of land-based exercise for knee OA in three ways: comparing it to control groups, to no treatment/usual care, and in combination with other interventions.
- A total of 139 randomized controlled trials involving over 12,000 participants were analyzed, focusing on outcomes like pain relief, physical function, and quality of life, with exercise interventions ranging from 2 to 104 weeks in duration.
Objective: Determine whether there is a relationship between the number of different lower-limb resistance exercises prescribed in a program and outcomes for people with knee osteoarthritis.
Methods: Systematic review with meta-regression. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, and Embase up to 4th January 2024.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to compare heart and lung function at rest in people with early-onset type 2 diabetes and a matching control group without diabetes, focusing on age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).
- - Eighteen participants with early-onset type 2 diabetes and fourteen controls underwent tests including echocardiography and pulmonary function, along with blood sample analyses for various biomarkers.
- - Results showed that those with early-onset diabetes had significant differences in heart function, including worse left ventricular diastolic function and lower lung diffusing capacity compared to controls.
Article Synopsis
- Assessing QTc prolongation is important in drug development due to its link to serious heart issues like Torsades de Pointes, with hERG channel inhibition being a key factor in this evaluation.* -
- The study analyzed data from 148 QTc observations across 98 compounds, finding that compounds causing significant QTc prolongation typically had lower hERG margins and identified specific levels of hERG inhibition associated with different magnitudes of QTc prolongation.* -
- The findings provide valuable insights for drug developers, helping them determine suitable hERG margins to minimize the risk of QTc prolongation, particularly when it’s difficult to eliminate hERG activity in drug design.*
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess whether sticking to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exercise guidelines improved exercise results for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
- A systematic review analyzed various trials comparing exercise outcomes for those who followed the guidelines more closely (≥60% compliance) versus those who didn’t (<60% compliance).
- The findings indicated no significant differences in pain and function outcomes between higher and lower compliance groups, suggesting that simply adhering to guidelines may not impact exercise benefits for knee OA patients, although results should be considered carefully due to variability and potential biases in the studies.