Comparison of the functional and cardiovascular effects of home-based versus supervised hospital circuit training exercises in male wheelchair users with chronic paraplegia.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of home-based upper extremity circuit training exercises (CTEs) with supervised hospital program in male patients with traumatic complete paraplegia.

Patients And Methods: Twenty men with paraplegia (mean age: 38±10.1 years; range, 30 to 43 years) between January 2007 and November 2007 were randomized into two groups.

Oxygen Uptake Efficiency Slope and Prediction of Post-operative Morbidity and Mortality in Patients with Lung Cancer.

Objective: Peak oxygen consumption is a very valuable cardiopulmonary functional parameter in pre-operative evaluation of patients with lung cancer. However, it has several critical limitations for operability decision due to failure in achieving maximal level of exercise test for cases. The aim of this study was to reveal the importance of more accurate cardiopulmonary parameters that can be calculated from data of submaximal level test, such as oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) and to determine whether it could be used in the operability decision phase for borderline cases by means of morbidity and mortality.

Impact of diabetes and diastolic dysfunction on exercise capacity in normotensive patients without coronary artery disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of diabetes and diastolic dysfunction on exercise capacity in asymptomatic, normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes without coronary artery disease.

Methods: A total of 43 type 2 diabetes patients (age: 50 ± 5 years) and 20 healthy controls (age: 48 ± 4 years) were enrolled. Diastolic function was investigated by conventional pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

Does Illness Perception Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with Myocardial Infarction?

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI) as a life-threatening event, carrying high risk of recurrence and chronic disabling complications, increases the risk of developing acute stress disorder (ASD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or both. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between illness perceptions and having ASD, PTSD, or both in patients after MI.

Method: Seventy-six patients diagnosed with acute MI were enrolled into our prospective study.

Muscular kinetics and fatigue evaluation of knee using by isokinetic dynamometer in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease that is observed with arthritis, sacroiliitis and disability. The aim of the study was to compare the strength and fatigue of knee extensor/flexor muscle group usage by isokinetic in patients with AS with controls.

Methods: Twenty-six AS diagnosed patients and twenty-six healthy volunteers with similar age, height, body weight and gender were included in this study.

The incognita of the known: the athlete's heart syndrome.

Long-term athletic activity causes morphological and functional changes in the heart characterized as left ventricle cavity dimension changes, wall thickness and mass increase and rhythm conduction changes. This condition is identified as "athlete's heart syndrome". The changes that are seen clinically occur as a result of physiological adaptation to exercise.

Improvement of coronary flow velocity reserve with telmisartan in patients with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Objectives: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) has been reported in patients with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) is a noninvasive test showing endothelial function of epicardial coronary arteries and coronary microcirculatory function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the angiotensin receptor blocker, telmisartan, on CFVR in patients with ADPKD.

Effect of aerobic exercise training on oxygen uptake and kinetics in patients with fibromyalgia.

The aim of this study is to investigate relation between cardiopulmonary performance and muscular microcirculation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Twenty-one female sedentary patients who were diagnosed as FMS, and 15 sedentary females were enrolled in to the study. All participants underwent a modified Bruce multistage maximal treadmill protocol with metabolic measurements and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy measurements.

Oxygen uptake kinetics during cardiopulmonary exercise testing and postoperative complications in patients with lung cancer.

It is accepted that cardiopulmonary exercise testing is one of the most valuable parameters, especially peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)), for the evaluation of risk assessment in lung cancer surgery. It therefore represents an attractive way of identifying a patient at high risk for postoperative complications. However, many patients do not achieve the maximal or predictive level during an incremental exercise testing.

Reduced coronary flow reserve and early diastolic filling abnormalities in patients with nephrotic syndrome.

Background: Increased cardiovascular disease risk is very well known in nephrotic syndrome. Coronary flow reserve measurement by trans-thoracic echocardiography reflects coronary microvascular and endothelial function. However, diastolic filling abnormalities by echocardiography may indicate diastolic dysfunction.

Coronary flow velocity reserve and carotid intima media thickness in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: from impaired tubules to impaired carotid and coronary arteries.

Background And Objectives: Cardiovascular problems are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Endothelial dysfunction, an early and reversible feature in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, is associated with increased vascular smooth muscle tone, arterial stiffening, and increased intima-media thickness. Coronary flow velocity reserve is a noninvasive test showing endothelial function of epicardial coronary arteries and coronary microcirculatory function.

Androgenic anabolic steroids also impair right ventricular function.

Chronic anabolic steroid use suppresses left ventricular functions. However, there is no information regarding the chronic effects of anabolic steroids on right ventricular function which also plays a key role in global cardiac function. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of androgenic anabolic steroids usage among athletes on remodeling the right part of the heart.

Coronary flow reserve after L-thyroxine therapy in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients with subclinical and overt hypothyroidism.

Background/aims: Overt and subclinical hypothyroidism are reported to be associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. We have used coronary flow reserve (CFR) measurement by trans-thoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) to determine coronary microvascular function in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients with overt and subclinical hypothyroidism and to evaluate effects of L-thyroxine replacement on coronary endothelial function.

Methods: In total, 10 overt hypothyroid patients, 10 subclinical hypothyroid patients, and 10 controls were enrolled.

Acute effects of smoking on coronary flow velocity reserve and ventricular diastolic functions.

Although it is well known that chronic effect of smoking on cardiovascular system, relation between coronary vascular reactivity and ventricular functions after acute smoking has not been well understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between coronary flow velocity reserve and ventricular diastolic functions measured by tissue Doppler imaging after acute smoking. We found that coronary flow velocity and diastolic functions of right ventricle were decreased.

The trivest in overreaching syndrome: cardiac fatigue, muscular weakness, and vascular dysfunction.

Although the underlying mechanisms responsible for cardiac dysfunction after prolonged exercise remains to be elucidated, it has reported cardiac deterioration following exhaustive exercise in the absence of underlying cardiovascular diseases, which has been attributed to cardiac fatigue. The objective of this study was to evaluate cardiac functions, exercise capacity, and flow-mediated dilatation in overreaching syndrome. We studied 13 male marathon runners who took part in a marathon.

Coronary flow reserve is impaired in patients with adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency.

Objective: Relationship between adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) and increased cardiovascular disease risk is very well known in hypopituitary patients treated with conventional hormone replacement therapy other than growth hormone (GH) administration. Endothelial dysfunction, an early and reversible event in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, is associated with increased vascular smooth muscle tone, arterial stiffening and intima-media thickness (IMT). Coronary flow reserve (CFR) measurement by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) reflects coronary microvascular and endothelial functions, as a cheaper and an easy screening test.

Effects of different intensities of acute exercise on flow-mediated dilatation in patients with coronary heart disease.

It is known that regular exercise training improves endothelial dysfunction in coronary artery disease, but, little is known concerning different intensities of acute exercise on endothelial function. We evaluated anaerobic threshold and peak oxygen uptake level of acute exercise on flow-mediated dilatation in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Endothelium-independent vasoreactivity in patients showed a trend with increase at threshold level exercise; however, it was significantly decreased at peak level exercise.