[Periodic breathing Cheyne-Stokes type, predict excessively reduced exercise tolerance in patients with chronic heart failure].

Introduction: Periodic breathing (PB) is evident during exercise in some patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and is accompanied by hyperventilation.

Aim: To determine whether the presence of PB predicts excessive reduced exercise capacity in patients with severe CHF relative to patient with CHF of similar severity but with no PB.

Methods: Sixty-one CHF patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise from 2009 to 2011 as part of their evaluation for cardiac transplantation.

Aeration properties of a new sleeping surface for infants.

Background: Prone sleeping position, use of soft mattresses and head covering by bedclothes are known risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Rebreathing carbon dioxide (CO(2) ) may be a possible mechanism or a confounding factor of SIDS.

Objective: To compare the aeration properties of a new concept of infant sleeping surface (Net) to three commercial mattresses advertised to improve aeration and to two standard infant mattresses.

Ventilatory response to hypercapnia in C(5-8) chronic tetraplegia: the effect of posture.

Objective: To study the effect of posture on the hypercapnic ventilatory responses (HCVR).

Design: Nonrandomized controlled study.

Setting: Rehabilitation hospital and a pulmonary institute.

Do angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors enhance the effect of exercise rehabilitation in patients with hypertension and ACE DD and DI genotypes?

Objective: To test whether pharmacologic angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition in carriers of the ACE DD or DI (D, deletion; I, insertion of 287 base pairs) genotypes can simulate the genetic advantage of the II genotype and thereby enhance the conditioning effects of aerobic exercise.

Design: Nonrandomized controlled trial.

Setting: Pulmonary institute.

Central versus peripheral cardiovascular limitation to exercise: the role of two-modality testing.

Background: Uncertainty arises when physiological findings indicate a cardiovascular limitation but the limiting constituents within the cardiovascular system cannot be identified.

Objectives: It was the aim of this study to investigate the value of two-modality exercise testing to assess effort intolerance when the cause remains obscure despite standard exercise testing.

Methods: A second modality maximal exercise test to fatigue, using either upper extremity or supine exercise, was performed following a nonconclusive standard sitting ergometry.

Ventilatory support during training improves training benefit in severe chronic airway obstruction.

Background: One mechanism that may limit training effect in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the ventilatory limitation and associated dyspnea.

Objectives: To minimize ventilatory limitation during training of patients with severe COPD by applying bi-level positive pressure ventilation during training in order to augment training intensity (and effect).

Methods: The study group comprised 19 patients (18 males, 1 female) with a mean age of 64 +/- 9 years.

Reduced exercise capacity in untreated adults with primary growth hormone resistance (Laron syndrome).

Objective: Primary IGF-I deficiency (Laron syndrome, LS) may decrease exercise capacity as a result of a lack of an IGF-I effect on heart, peripheral muscle or lung structure and/or function.

Methods: Eight patients (six females) who had never received treatment with IGF-I, with mean age of 36 +/- 10 (SD) years (range 21-48), weight 47 +/- 9 kg (31-61), height 126 +/- 12 cm (112-140) and body mass index of 29 +/- 4 kg/m2 (24-34), and 12 age-matched controls, underwent lung function tests and incremental cycling to the limit of tolerance (CPX, MedGraphics). Predicted values for the patients were derived from adult equations based on height.