The influence of vigorous physical exertion on cardiac demand under conditions of daily living among firefighters with elevated blood pressure.

Background: Firefighters have a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The poor heart health of firefighters is implicated in their increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Exercise may be protective against SCD partially due to the immediate blood pressure (BP) reductions of 5-8 mmHg following exercise, termed postexercise hypotension (PEH) OBJECTIVES: To examine PEH under ambulatory conditions after a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) among career firefighters METHODS: Firefighters (n = 19) completed a maximal CPET and non-exercise control (CONTROL) in random order on separate non-workdays and left the laboratory instrumented to an ambulatory BP (ABP) monitor.

Comprehensive Cardiovascular Risk Factor Control With a Mobile Health Cardiovascular Risk Self-Management Program.

Background: Mobile health technology's impact on cardiovascular risk factor control is not fully understood. This study evaluates the association between interaction with a mobile health application and change in cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods And Results: Participants with hypertension with or without dyslipidemia enrolled in a workplace-deployed mobile health application-based cardiovascular risk self-management program between January 2018 and December 2022.

Reliability and Time Course of Postexercise Hypotension during Exercise Training among Adults with Hypertension.

Postexercise hypotension (PEH), or the immediate decrease in blood pressure (BP) lasting for 24 h following an exercise bout, is well-established; however, the influence of exercise training on PEH dynamics is unknown. This study investigated the reliability and time course of change of PEH during exercise training among adults with hypertension. PEH responders ( = 10) underwent 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training, 40 min/session at moderate-to-vigorous intensity for 3 d/weeks.

Comprehensiveness, Accuracy, and Readability of Exercise Recommendations Provided by an AI-Based Chatbot: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Regular physical activity is critical for health and disease prevention. Yet, health care providers and patients face barriers to implement evidence-based lifestyle recommendations. The potential to augment care with the increased availability of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is limitless; however, the suitability of AI-generated exercise recommendations has yet to be explored.

Cardiometabolic Biomarkers and Habitual Caffeine Consumption Associate with the Adverse Ambulatory Blood Pressure Response to Strenuous Physical Exertion among Firefighters.

Caffeine has beneficial effects on firefighter job performance reducing fatigue and improving psychomotor vigilance. However, excessive caffeine intake may raise blood pressure (BP) following a bout of acute exercise among adults with elevated BP. The influence of caffeine intake on the ambulatory BP (ABP) response to vigorous physical exertion among firefighters has not been studied.

Venous thromboemboli associated with acute aerobic exercise: A review of case report commonalities.

Unlabelled: Venous thromboembolic (VTE) events such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) have been reported in otherwise low-risk healthy athletes following acute bouts of aerobic exercise.

Purpose: To review case reports and assess the commonalities of athletic individuals with VTE, as well as return-to-play (RTP) recommendations.

Methods: We reviewed 47 reports (20 DVTs, 15 PEs, and 12 DVTs/PEs, 19 women) of trained individuals who were diagnosed with DVT and/or PE following aerobic exercise.

Links between discrimination and cardiovascular health among socially stigmatized groups: A systematic review.

Background: There is a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease across diverse groups in the U.S. population, and increasing research has identified stigma as a potential barrier to cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.

Using the immediate blood pressure benefits of exercise to improve exercise adherence among adults with hypertension: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: A single exercise session evokes immediate blood pressure (BP) reductions that persist for at least 24 h, termed postexercise hypotension (PEH). Self-monitoring of PEH may foster positive outcome expectations of exercise, and thus, enhance exercise adherence among adults with hypertension.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of self-monitoring of exercise (EXERCISE) versus exercise and PEH (EXERCISE + PEH) to improve exercise adherence and BP control among adults with hypertension.

The Influence of Compression Socks During a Marathon on Exercise-Associated Muscle Damage.

Context: Compression socks have become increasingly popular with athletes due to perceived enhancement of exercise performance and recovery. However, research examining the efficacy of compression socks to reduce exercise-associated muscle damage has been equivocal, with few direct measurements of markers of muscle damage.

Objective: To examine the influence of compression socks worn during a marathon on creatine kinase (CK) levels.

Coenzyme Q10 as Treatment for Statin-Associated Muscle Symptoms-A Good Idea, but….

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are extremely well tolerated but are associated with a range of mild-to-moderate statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). Estimates of SAMS incidence vary from <1% in industry-funded clinical trials to 10-25% in nonindustry-funded clinical trials and ∼60% in some observational studies. SAMS are important because they result in dose reduction or discontinuation of these life-saving medications, accompanied by higher healthcare costs and cardiac events.

The influence of resting blood pressure on muscle strength in healthy adults.

Adverse alterations in the skeletal muscle response to exercise have been noted among adults with hypertension. The influence of resting blood pressure (BP) on muscle strength is unknown. We hypothesized that adults with high BP would exhibit lower muscular strength than adults with normal BP.

The effect of high-dose atorvastatin on neural activity and cognitive function.

Background: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has not been used to assess the effects of statins on the brain. We assessed the effect of statins on cognition using standard neuropsychological assessments and brain neural activation with fMRI on two tasks.

Methods: Healthy statin-naïve men and women (48±15 years) were randomized to 80 mg/day atorvastatin (n=66; 27 men) or placebo (n=84; 48 men) for 6 months.

Can Exercise Improve Cognitive Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease?

Objectives: To examine the effects of exercise training on cognitive function in individuals at risk of or diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Design: Meta-analysis.

Setting: PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.

Compression Socks Worn During Flight and Hemostatic Balance in Boston Marathon Runners on Oral Contraceptives.

Objective: To investigate the effect of oral contraceptive (OC) use and compression socks on hemostatic activation in women flying cross-country to and from a marathon.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: 2015 Boston Marathon.

Performance of wells score to predict deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in endurance athletes.

Introduction: There are an increasing number of reports describing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) in otherwise healthy endurance athletes. The Wells score is the most commonly used clinical prediction rule to diagnose DVT/PE in clinical populations. However, the Wells score may have limited utility for recognition of DVT/PE in athletes, contributing to missed or delayed diagnosis.

Small Sample Sizes Confound Understanding of Cardiometabolic Responses to Exercise.

Considerable variability exists in the cardiometabolic disease biomarker response to exercise. We propose that a major contributor to this heterogeneity is underpowered studies due to small sample sizes. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a systematic review to identify meta-analyses/reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and RCT that examined the cardiometabolic disease biomarker response to aerobic and resistance exercise.

Influence of Baseline Psychological Health on Muscle Pain During Atorvastatin Treatment.

Background: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase reductase inhibitors (statins) are generally well tolerated, with statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) the most common side effect (~10%) seen in statin users. However, studies and clinical observations indicate that many of the self-reported SAMS appear to be nonspecific (ie, potentially not attributable to statins).

Objective: Mental health and well-being influence self-perception of pain, so we sought to assess the effect of baseline well-being and depression on the development of muscle pain with 6 months of atorvastatin 80 mg/d (ATORVA) or placebo in healthy, statin-naive adults.

The antihypertensive effects of aerobic versus isometric handgrip resistance exercise.

Background: Aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure (BP) on average 5-7 mmHg among those with hypertension; limited evidence suggests similar or even greater BP benefits may result from isometric handgrip (IHG) resistance exercise.

Method: We conducted a randomized controlled trial investigating the antihypertensive effects of an acute bout of aerobic compared with IHG exercise in the same individuals. Middle-aged adults (n = 27) with prehypertension and obesity randomly completed three experiments: aerobic (60% peak oxygen uptake, 30 min); IHG (30% maximum voluntary contraction, 4 × 2 min bilateral); and nonexercise control.

Coming of Age: Considerations in the Prescription of Exercise for Older Adults.

Older adults represent the fastest-growing age demographic of the population. Physiological changes associated with primary aging and concurrent chronic disease adversely impact functional capacity, health outcomes, and quality of life. For these reasons, there is a national emphasis for healthcare providers to improve the health, function, and quality of life of older adults to preserve independent living and psychological well-being.

Is Concurrent Training Efficacious Antihypertensive Therapy? A Meta-analysis.

Unlabelled: : Aerobic exercise training and, to a lesser degree, dynamic resistance training, are recommended to lower blood pressure (BP) among adults with hypertension. Yet the combined influence of these exercise modalities, termed concurrent exercise training (CET), on resting BP is unclear.

Purpose: This study aimed to meta-analyze the literature to determine the efficacy of CET as antihypertensive therapy.

The impact of tetrahydrobiopterin administration on endothelial function before and after smoking cessation in chronic smokers.

Cardiovascular disease mortality is reduced following smoking cessation but the reversibility of specific atherogenic risk factors such as endothelial dysfunction is less established. We assessed brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in 57 chronic smokers and 15 healthy controls, alone and after oral tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) administration, to assess the extent to which reduced bioactivity of BH4, a cofactor for the endothelial nitric oxide synthase enzyme (eNOS), contributes to smoking-associated reductions in FMD. Thirty-four smokers then ceased cigarette and nicotine use for 1 week, after which FMD (±BH4 administration) was repeated.

The effect of compression socks worn during a marathon on hemostatic balance.

Introduction: Marathon running evokes parallel increases in markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis (i.e. hemostatic activation) immediately following strenuous, endurance exercise such that hemostatic balance is maintained.

Protective effect of compression socks in a marathon runner with a genetic predisposition to thrombophilia due to Factor V Leiden.

Introduction: The present case study is an analysis of the effect of compression socks on hemostatic activation following a marathon in a female endurance athlete found to be heterozygous for the coagulation factor V (F5 1691 G>A [Arg>Gln rs6025/560]) risk allele that predisposes one to a genetically inherited disorder of blood clotting, Factor V Leiden.

Methods: Markers for coagulation and fibrinolysis were obtained 24 h prior to (PRE), immediately after (FINISH) and 24 h after (POST) completion of two marathons: the first in which the runner was not wearing compression socks, and the second in which the runner wore compression socks throughout the race.

Results: Compression socks worn during a marathon appeared to lower the overall impact on hemostasis as well as clot formation in this particular athlete as evidenced by lower t-PA (-56%), TAT (-63%) and D-dimer (-30%).