Evaluation of functional capacity and muscle metabolism in individuals with peripheral arterial disease with and without diabetes.

Objective: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is characterized by intermittent claudication, which interferes with walking and leads to worsening of functional capacity. This mechanism has not been clearly defined in PAD. Thus, the aim of our study was to identify the muscular metabolism and vascular function variables using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and their possible associations with functional capacity in individuals with PAD and secondly to verify the differences in these variables between persons with PAD and diabetes mellitus (DM) and those with PAD without DM.

Challenges in recruitment and adherence to a randomized clinical trial in Brazil on the effects of transcutaneous nervous electrical stimulation on individuals with peripheral arterial disease: A feasibility study.

Objective: Describe the feasibility, barriers during the recruitment and intervention period, recruitment rate (success and efficiency), and the level of participation and adherence in the randomized clinical trial to verify the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for the symptoms of intermittent claudication (IC) and its repercussions on functional capacity, cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular autonomic function in individuals with sta II Fontaine classification, residing in Brazil.

Design: Prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial.

Setting: Level secondary.

Limitations of VEINES QOL/SYM for discriminating chronic venous insufficiency severity.

Background: The Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study - Quality of Life/Symptoms (VEINES-QOL / Sym) questionnaire was developed to evaluate the quality of life of individuals with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), but it has shown limited sensitivity for discriminating between people with different of disease severity.

Objectives: a) to propose a new formula for calculating the VEINES-QOL/Sym score and to evaluate whether this new score is capable of discriminating disease severity; and b) to evaluate the association between VEINES-QOL/Sym scores and disease severity.

Methods: Ninety-eight participants with CVI of both sexes, aged 60.

Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Brazil's Public Health Care: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is among the main causes of hospitalization and death worldwide, therefore, the implementation of programs to reduce its impact is necessary. Supervised cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to have positive effects on CAD control. However, there are barriers to patient participation in the traditional, face-to-face cardiac rehabilitation programs, mainly in low-resource environments.

Effects of physical exercise on plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and depressive symptoms in elderly women--a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of 2 standardized exercise programs, muscle strength exercises (SE) and aerobic exercises (AE), on the plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and depressive symptoms in 451 elderly women.

Design: A randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Belo Horizonte/MG-Brazil.