Shuttle walk test categorization according to the qualifiers of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health: proposal for use in patients with difficult-to-treat asthma, a cross-sectional study.

Aim: To classify functional capacity of people with difficult-to-treat asthma based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Methods: Fifty-seven patients underwent the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT) to assess functional capacity, in order to categorize them functionally we used the ICF qualifiers. To qualify ISWT results the individual's impairment (i.

A more effective alternative to the 6-minute walk test for the assessment of functional capacity in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Background: The prognosis of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is directly correlated with the functional capacity (FC). The most common FC test is the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), however, there is evidence to suggest that the 6MWT does not reflect the real FC in PH patients.

Aim: To compare physiological responses among three field walk tests and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and to determine the determinants of distance walked in the field walk tests.

Parameters and Effects of Photobiomodulation in Plantar Fasciitis: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

This systematic review and meta-analysis updated the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on pain, the Foot Function Index (FFI), and the effects on fascial thickness in adults with acute or chronic plantar fasciitis (PF). A systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed (Public/Publisher MEDLINE), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) databases. Two researchers independently screened titles and abstracts of the retrieved studies for eligibility.

Reliability of the Shuttle Walk Test With Controlled Incremental Velocity in Patients With Difficult-to-Control Asthma.

Purpose: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by bronchial hypersensitivity to endogenous or exogenous agents and variable airflow limitation, which is reversible either spontaneously or with the use of medication. The evaluation of functional capacity in these patients is commonly performed using field tests to gauge activity of daily living. However, the reliability of the symptom-controlled shuttle walk test has not yet been determined for individuals with difficult-to-control asthma.

Peripheral muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with moderate to severe asthma.

Background: The adequate control of asthma includes the absence of nocturnal symptoms, minimal use of medication, normal or nearly normal lung function and no limitations to physical activity. The choice of a more sedentary lifestyle can lead to physical de-conditioning, thereby aggravating asthma symptoms and increasing the risk of obesity.

Methods: This study aimed at performing a battery of function-related assessments in patients with asthma and comparing them to a healthy control group.

Heart rate variability in children with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease: analysis by spectral and non linear indices.

Congenital heart defects affect the efficiency and functionality of the heart, and autonomic control of heart rate and of circulation can display a pathologic behavior in order to compensate for the hemodynamic alterations due to disease. While previous works have investigated heart rate variability (HRV) in specific pathologies, e.g.

Cardiorespiratory coupling during sleep in difficult-to-control asthmatic patients.

Heart rate variability (HRV) and respiration recorded during sleep from 8 patients suffering from difficult-to-control asthma were studied to investigate autonomic nervous system control of cardiac and respiratory activities, and of cardio-respiratory coupling during different sleep stages.

Adjuncts to physical training of patients with severe COPD: oxygen or noninvasive ventilation?

Background: Previous studies have shown positive effects from noninvasive ventilation (NIV) or supplemental oxygen on exercise capacity in patients with COPD. However, the best adjunct for promoting physiologic adaptations to physical training in patients with severe COPD remains to be investigated.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients (mean +/- SD age 68 +/- 7 y) with stable COPD (FEV(1) 34 +/- 9% of predicted) undergoing an exercise training program were randomized to either NIV (n = 14) or supplemental oxygen (n = 14) during group training to maintain peripheral oxygen saturation (S(pO2)) >/= 90%.

Outpatient vs. home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality affecting a large number of individuals in both developed and developing countries and it represents a significant financial burden for patients, families and society. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a multidisciplinary program that integrates components of exercise training, education, nutritional support, psychological support and self-care, resulting in an improvement in dyspnea, fatigue and quality of life. Despite its proven effectiveness and the strong scientific recommendations for its routine use in the care of COPD, PR is generally underutilized and strategies for increasing access to PR are needed.