: a free software for analyzing cardiac, vascular and respiratory interactions.

Simultaneous beat-to-beat R-R intervals, blood pressure and respiration signals are routinely analyzed for the evaluation of autonomic cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory regulations for research or clinical purposes. The more recognized analyses are i) heart rate variability and cardiac coherence, which provides an evaluation of autonomic nervous system activity and more particularly parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomic arms; ii) blood pressure variability which is mainly linked to sympathetic modulation and myogenic vascular function; iii) baroreflex sensitivity; iv) time-frequency analyses to identify fast modifications of autonomic activity; and more recently, v) time and frequency domain Granger causality analyses were introduced for assessing bidirectional causal links between each considered signal, thus allowing the scrutiny of many physiological regulatory mechanisms. These analyses are commonly applied in various populations and conditions, including mortality and morbidity predictions, cardiac and respiratory rehabilitation, training and overtraining, diabetes, autonomic status of newborns, anesthesia, or neurophysiological studies.

Normative Data for a Neuropsychological Test Battery in the French Aging Population: 20-Year Follow-Up From the "PROgnostic OF Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events" Study.

Objective: The study aimed to present relevant norms for the evaluation of pathological aging in the French population over a 20-year period, utilizing the "PROgnostic OF cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events" test and questionnaire.

Methods: Three neuropsychological evaluations were administered over 20 years with 929 participants at the first cognitive evaluation (62-69 years old), 631 at the second (71-78 years old), and 293 at the third (81-88 years old). The tests and questionnaires were administered in the following order: McNair's Cognitive Complaints Questionnaire, Depression Questionnaire of Pichot, Mini Mental State Examination, Free and Cued Selective Reminding test, Benton Visual Retention Test, Digit-Symbol Substitution Test of the WAIS-III, Trail Making Test, Stroop Test, Verbal Fluency, and the Similarities subtest of the WAIS-III.

Brain alterations associated with overweight evaluated by body mass index or body fat index in an elderly population: the PROOF study.

Background/objectives: Obesity is a complex health issue in which the brain plays a role yet to be determined, especially in the elderly. Indeed, in the ageing population, the balance between fat and lean mass is different; thus, the co-influence between the brain and obesity may differ between the elderly and younger subjects. Our main goal is thus to explore the relationship between the brain and obesity using two different approaches to measure obesity: body mass index (BMI) and an index centred on fat mass, the body fat index (BFI).

Obesity related to metabolic syndrome: comparison of obesity indicators in an older french population.

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) represents a cluster of metabolic abnormalities. Insulin resistance is a major component of the syndrome. We analyze in this study the relationship between body fat composition and MS in comparison to usual obesity indicators in an older adult population.

Sex-related differences in endothelial function and blood viscosity in the elderly population.

Elderly represents a growing population and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in this population. Sex differences are involved in CVD with middle-aged males being at higher risk than females. After menopause, females are no longer protected by hormones and the role of sex on cardiovascular parameters involved in CVD, such as endothelial function and blood viscosity, is still unclear.

The effect of a pressure ventilatory support on quadriceps endurance is maintained after exercise training in severe COPD patients. A longitudinal randomized, cross over study.

In severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, the application of an inspiratory pressure support (IPS) during exercise increases exercise tolerance and the benefit of exercise training during pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Moreover, it improves quadriceps endurance after a session of cycling exercise suggesting a reduced muscle fatigue. We looked for the persistence of this effect after PR and sought an association between the improved quadriceps endurance with IPS and the training load during PR.

Targeting autonomic nervous system as a biomarker of well-ageing in the prevention of stroke.

Stroke prediction is a key health issue for preventive medicine. Atrial fibrillation (AF) detection is well established and the importance of obstructive sleep apneas (OSA) has emerged in recent years. Although autonomic nervous system (ANS) appears strongly implicated in stroke occurrence, this factor is more rarely considered.

Resistance Training of Inspiratory Muscles After Coronary Artery Disease May Improve Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation: RICAOS Study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 5% of the adult population and its prevalence is up to 13 times higher in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. However, OSA in this population is less symptomatic, leading to lower adherence to positive airway pressure (CPAP). While oropharyngeal exercise showed a significant decrease in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in patients with moderate OSA, there have been no studies testing the impact of specific inspiratory muscle training (IMT) for these patients.

Association between nocturnal heart rate variability and incident cardiovascular disease events: The HypnoLaus population-based study.

Background: Although heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to assess cardiac autonomic function, few studies have specifically investigated nocturnal HRV.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between nocturnal HRV and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence over 4 years in a population-based sample.

Methods: A total of 1784 participants (48.

Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation After Atrial Flutter Ablation With Ramipril (from the PREFACE Study).

The clinical efficacy of the inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) as an upstream therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) prevention is controversial. No study has itemized so far the role of RAAS inhibitors in AF prevention after atrial flutter (AFL) ablation. This trial aims to investigate the effect of ramipril compared with placebo on AF occurrence in patients hospitalized for AFL ablation without structural heart disease.

Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes in Asymptomatic Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Results of the PROOF Cohort Study After 7 Years of Follow-Up.

The aim of the study was to assess potential associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the occurrence of diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance in the elderly. Nondiabetic volunteers ( = 549) with undiagnosed or untreated asymptomatic OSA (66.2+/-1 years at the inclusion) were evaluated as an ancillary study of the PROOF cohort study ( = 1,011).

Muscle Proteomic and Transcriptomic Profiling of Healthy Aging and Metabolic Syndrome in Men.

(1) Background: Aging is associated with a progressive decline in muscle mass and function. Aging is also a primary risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which further alters muscle metabolism. However, the molecular mechanisms involved remain to be clarified.

Longer-term effects of supervised physical activity on obstructive sleep apnea and subsequent health consequences.

Although recent trials have shown promising benefits of exercise on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity, the long-term effect of these interventions remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a 9-month community physical activity program on OSA severity one year later in free-living conditions. OSA patients, previously included in a 9-month randomized controlled trial (EXESAS study) evaluating the effects of supervised community physical activity on OSA severity, were invited to participate in an extra one-year observational study.

Predictors of high-degree conduction disturbances and pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Prognostic role of the electrophysiological study.

Background: Predictors of high-degree atrioventricular block (HAVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are recognized, but the electrophysiological study's (EPS) role is still a subject to debate. The objective of our study was to determine factors associated with PPM implantation including the potential role of EPS before and/or after TAVR.

Methods And Results: Seventy four consecutive patients (pts) were included and 21 pts (28.

Electronic cigarettes and health with special focus on cardiovascular effects: position paper of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC).

Background: Tobacco use is the single largest preventable risk factor for premature death of non-communicable diseases and the second leading cause of cardiovascular disease. In response to the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has emerged and gained significant popularity over the past 15 years. E-cigarettes are promoted as safe alternatives for traditional tobacco smoking and are often suggested as a way to reduce or quit smoking.

Role of Gender and Physical Activity Level on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in the Elderly.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Ageing and gender strongly modulate the risk to develop cardiovascular diseases but very few studies have investigated the impact of gender on cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, which represents a growing population. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of gender and physical activity level on several biochemical and clinical markers of cardiovascular risk in elderly individuals.

Causal analyses to study autonomic regulation during acute head-out water immersion, head-down tilt and supine position.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Can Granger causality analysis of R-R intervals, systolic blood pressure and respiration provide evidence for the different physiological mechanisms induced during thermoneutral water immersion, 6 deg head-down tilt and supine position tests that are not accessible using traditional heart rate variability and baroreflex methods? What is the main finding and its importance? The Granger analysis demonstrated a significant difference in the causal link from R-R intervals to respiration between water immersion and head-down tilt. The underlying physiological mechanism explaining this difference could be the variation in peripheral resistances.

Abstract: Thermoneutral head-out water immersion (WI) and 6 deg head-down tilt (HDT) are used to simulate SCUBA diving, swimming and microgravity, because these models induce an increase in central blood volume.

Magnesium transport and homeostasis-related gene expression in skeletal muscle of young and old adults: analysis of the transcriptomic data from the PROOF cohort Study.

Magnesium (Mg) is critical for a number of biological processes and 25% body Mg is located in the skeletal muscle. Mg transport and homeostasis systems (MgTHs) regulate intracellular Mg concentration and muscle MgTHs are thus related to whole body Mg homeostasis. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the regulation of muscle MgTHs under (patho)physiological conditions.

Autonomic cardiovascular adaptations to acute head-out water immersion, head-down tilt and supine position.

Purpose: Thermoneutral head-out water immersion (WI) and 6° head-down tilt (HDT) have been considered as suitable models to increase central blood volume and simulate autonomic cardiovascular adaptations to microgravity, swimming or scuba diving. However, any differences in autonomic cardiovascular adaptations are still unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that WI induces a higher activation of arterial baroreceptors and the parasympathetic system.

Factors Influencing Adherence to Auto-CPAP: An Observational Monocentric Study Comparing Patients With and Without Cardiovascular Diseases.

Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea (OSAH) affects more than 15% of the general population and increases the occurrence of cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic events. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment is currently the gold standard treatment of OSAH and could prevent the occurrence of such events. However, long-term adherence to CPAP is a problem where a significant rate stop device treatment use.

Effect of exercise training on heart rate variability in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A randomized controlled trial.

While obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases chemoreflex, leading to an autonomic dysfunction in the long term, no studies have yet assessed the potential benefit of exercise on cardiac autonomic activity in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential improvement in cardiac autonomic function (CAF) measured through heart rate variability (HRV) after a 9-month physical activity program in patients with OSA. Seventy-four patients with moderate OSA, aged 40-80 years, were randomly assigned to an exercise group (n = 36, 3 × 1 h/wk) or a control group (n = 38) during 9 months.

Exercise Frequency Determines Heart Rate Variability Gains in Older People: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that exercise training improves cardiac autonomic drive in young and middle-aged adults. In this study, we discuss the benefits for the elderly.

Objectives: We aimed to establish whether exercise still increases heart rate variability (HRV) beyond the age of 60 years, and to identify which training factors influence HRV gains in this population.