Unilateral impairment of leg blood flow in chronic stroke patients.

Background: Previous studies comparing paretic limb blood flow with the unaffected limb have been contradictory and have often omitted comparisons of peak reactive hyperemic flow. Our objective was to perform bilateral measurements of resting and reactive hyperemic blood flow in the lower legs of chronic (>6 months) stroke patients. A secondary purpose was to determine the extent to which any unilateral changes in limb blood flow were a function of decreases in lean tissue mass on the affected side.

Reliability of treadmill exercise testing in older patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke.

Objective: To assess the test-retest reliability of cardiopulmonary measurements during peak effort and submaximal treadmill walking tests in older patients with gait-impaired chronic hemiparetic stroke.

Design: Nonrandomized test-retest.

Setting: Hospital geriatric research stress testing laboratory.

A single bout of walking exercise enhances endogenous fibrinolysis in stroke patients.

Purpose: Impaired endogenous fibrinolysis is an important predictor for increased risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. Acute exercise can enhance fibrinolysis, primarily by stimulating short-term increases in plasma tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which is postulated to protect against atherothrombotic events. No prior studies have examined the fibrinolytic response to exercise in stroke survivors despite their high risk for recurrent stroke and myocardial infarction.

Hemiparetic muscle atrophy and increased intramuscular fat in stroke patients.

Objective: To determine if skeletal muscle atrophy and greater fat deposition within the muscle are present in the hemiparetic limb of chronic (>6 mo) hemiparetic stroke patients.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Hospital-based research center.

Applicability of maximal oxygen consumption criteria in obese, postmenopausal women.

This study examines the applicability of using three standard criteria (age-predicted maximal heart rate [HRmax], respiratory exchange ratio [RER>1.10], and plateau in oxygen uptake [Vo(2)] for the measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (Vo(2)max) in postmenopausal women. One hundred eight postmenopausal (60 +/- 6 years), overweight and obese (body mass index [BMI] = 33 +/- 4 kg/m(2)), sedentary (Vo(2)max = 19 +/- 3 ml/kg/min) women underwent one exercise test (Bruce protocol), and 71 of these women underwent a second test (modified Balke protocol).