Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on peripheral to central blood pressure ratio in healthy subjects.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the arterial stiffness in healthy young adult and middle-aged men using the augmentation index (AI-x) and hemodynamic measures.

Methods: Twenty-four men (12 aged 27·25 ± 5·53 years and 12 aged 54·83 ± 5·10 years) were randomly allocated to two subgroups: TENS or placebo in ganglion region for 45 min. The AI-x and hemodynamic measures [late systolic blood pressure (SBP), central blood pressure (CBP), difference between P1 and P2 (ΔP) and tension time index (TTI)] were determined before and after protocols.

Aerobic exercise effect on prognostic markers for systolic heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

From previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there is consensus about the positive effect of exercise training on exercise capacity for systolic heart failure (HF); however, the effect on actual prognostic markers such as NTproBNP and minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope has not been evaluated. The primary aim of the proposed study is to determine the effect of aerobic exercise training (AEX) on the VE/VCO2 slope and NTproBNP. The following databases (up to February 30, 2013) were searched with no language limitations: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2013, issue 2), MEDLINE (from January 1966), EMBASE (from January 1980), and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) (from January 1929).

Association between physical activity measurements and key parameters of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with heart failure.

Background: A hallmark characteristic of heart failure (HF) is reduced physical activity (PA) patterns. The relationship between key cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) variables and PA patterns has not been investigated. Therefore, we evaluated PA patterns in patients with ischemic HF and its relationship to peak oxygen consumption (VO2), the minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope, and the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES).