Urothelium-derived prostanoids enhance contractility of urinary bladder smooth muscle and stimulate bladder afferent nerve activity in the mouse.

The transitional epithelial cells (urothelium) that line the lumen of the urinary bladder form a barrier between potentially harmful pathogens, toxins, and other bladder contents and the inner layers of the bladder wall. The urothelium, however, is not simply a passive barrier, as it can produce signaling factors, such as ATP, nitric oxide, prostaglandins, and other prostanoids, that can modulate bladder function. We investigated whether substances produced by the urothelium could directly modulate the contractility of the underlying urinary bladder smooth muscle.

Anxiety Predicts Worse Cardiorespiratory Fitness Outcomes in Cardiac Rehabilitation for Lower Socioeconomic Status Patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to show that patients in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have worse clinical profiles and higher rates of psychiatric difficulties and they have lower cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) improvements from CR than their counterparts with higher SES. Improvement in CRF during CR predicts better long-term health outcomes. Research suggests that higher anxiety impairs CRF in structured exercise regimes and is overrepresented among patients with lower SES.

Objective measure of smoking status highlights disparities by sex.

Current smoking is the strongest predictor of future morbidity and mortality in those with cardiovascular disease, yet clinically, smoking status is usually ascertained through self-report. We objectively measured smoking status, using exhaled carbon monoxide (CO), for 1122 consecutive patients entering cardiac rehabilitation. Within those with elevated CO levels (≥4 ppm), females had CO levels almost twice that of males (20.

Carbon monoxide monitoring to objectively measure smoking status in cardiac rehabilitation.

Objective: Participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality. However, most programs rely on self-report measures when assessing the critical risk factor of smoking. This study examined smoking status using self-report versus objective measurement using expired carbon monoxide (CO) and compared patient characteristics by CO level.

Benchmarking Depressive Symptoms in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Purpose: Depression affects cardiac health and is important to track within cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Using two depression screeners within one sample, we calculated prevalence of baseline depressive symptomology, improvements during CR, and predictors of both.

Methods: Data were drawn from the University of Vermont Medical Center CR program prospectively collected database.

Optimizing Training Response for Women in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Despite lower baseline fitness levels, women in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) do not typically improve peak aerobic exercise capacity (defined as peak oxygen uptake [peak Vo2]) compared with men in CR.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and intensive lower extremity resistance training (RT) compared with standard moderate intensity continuous training (MCT) on peak Vo2 among women in CR.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This randomized clinical trial conducted from July 2017 to February 2020 included women from a community-based cardiac rehabilitation program affiliated with a university hospital in Vermont.

Assessment of the Early Disabling Effects of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Using Direct Measures of Physical Function.

Purpose: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is an important treatment option in patients with coronary artery disease. Despite its beneficial effects, CABG surgery and its subsequent hospitalization may reduce physical functional capacity in patients, contributing to physical disability. Our objective was to assess the early disabling effects of CABG surgery and its subsequent hospitalization using direct measurements of physical function.

Improvement in Physical Function After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Using a Novel Rehabilitation Intervention: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

Purpose: Cardiorespiratory and skeletal muscle deconditioning occurs following coronary artery bypass graft surgery and hospitalization. Outpatient, phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is designed to remediate this deconditioning but typically does not begin until several weeks following hospital discharge. Although an exercise program between discharge and the start of CR could improve functional recovery, implementation of exercise at this time is complicated by postoperative physical limitations and restrictions.

Response to Exercise Training During Cardiac Rehabilitation Differs by Sex.

Purpose: Directly measured peak aerobic capacity or oxygen uptake is a powerful predictor of prognosis in individuals with cardiovascular disease. Women enter phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation (CR) with lower and their response to training, compared with men, is equivocal. We analyzed at entry and exit in patients participating in CR and improvements by diagnosis to assess training response.

Financial Incentives to Increase Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation Among Low-Socioeconomic Status Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objectives: This study sought to examine the efficacy of financial incentives to increase Medicaid patient participation in and completion of cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Background: Participation in CR reduces morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations while improving quality of life. Lower-socioeconomic status (SES) patients are much less likely to attend and complete CR, despite being at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events.

Clinical and Demographic Trends in Cardiac Rehabilitation: 1996-2015.

Purpose: Clinical interventions in programs such as cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are guided by clinical characteristics of participating patients. This study describes changes in CR participant characteristics over 20 yr.

Methods: To examine changes in patient characteristics over time, we analyzed data from 1996 to 2015 (n = 5396) garnered from a systematically and prospectively gathered database.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation Rates and Outcomes for Patients With Heart Failure.

Purpose: Exercise training has been shown to reduce combined cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Whereas there are extensive data on exercise training for individuals with HFrEF in a research setting, the experience of delivering cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services in the clinical setting has not been well described. With little knowledge regarding the number of qualifying patients with HFrEF in the United States, we described our 18-month experience recruiting hospitalized inpatients and stable outpatients into phase 2 CR.

Directly Measured Physical Function in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Purpose: The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a strong predictor for risk of physical disability in older adults. Roughly half of individuals participating in phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are 65 years or older, many presenting with low aerobic capacities and may be at increased risk for physical disability.

Methods: The cohort consisted of 196 consecutive patients (136 men), aged 65 years or older, entering CR who were prospectively evaluated by the SPPB.

Patient Characteristics Predictive of Cardiac Rehabilitation Adherence.

Purpose: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a program of structured exercise and interventions for coronary risk factor reduction that reduces morbidity and mortality rates following a major cardiac event. Although a dose-response relationship between the number of CR sessions completed and health outcomes has been demonstrated, adherence with CR is not high. In this study, we examined associations between the number of sessions completed within CR and patient demographics, clinical characteristics, smoking status, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Financial incentives to promote cardiac rehabilitation participation and adherence among Medicaid patients.

Purpose: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves medical outcomes after myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) patients are less likely to participate in and complete CR. The aim of this study was to test whether financial incentives may increase participation and adherence to CR among lower-SES patients.

Skeletal muscle ultrastructure and function in statin-tolerant individuals.

Introduction: Statins have well-known benefits on cardiovascular mortality, though up to 15% of patients experience side effects. With guidelines from the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and American Diabetes Association expected to double the number of statin users, the overall incidence of myalgia and myopathy will increase.

Methods: We evaluated skeletal muscle structure and contractile function at the molecular, cellular, and whole tissue levels in 12 statin tolerant and 12 control subjects.

Cardiac Rehabilitation After Heart Valve Surgery: COMPARISON WITH CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT PATIENTS.

Purpose: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) experience improvements in aerobic fitness, but there has been little study of outcomes for heart valve (HV) surgical patients. The primary aims of this study were to evaluate baseline peak aerobic capacity for HV patients participating in CR and to compare outcomes between HV and CABG patients.

Methods: Five hundred seventy-six consecutive patients who underwent HV surgery (n = 125), HV plus CABG surgery (n = 57), or CABG surgery (n = 394), all with classic sternotomy and enrolled in CR, were prospectively studied.