Aerobic capacity, muscle strength and health-related quality of life before and after orthotopic liver transplantation: preliminary data of an Austrian transplantation centre.

Objective: Patients before orthotopic liver transplantation usually show a reduced physical performance status, which impacts on their daily life and social participation. This pilot study aimed to evaluate endurance capacity, muscle strength, and quality of life before and after orthotopic liver transplantation in patients in an Austrian transplantation centre.

Subjects: Fifteen patients (male/female = 10:5) were included in the pilot study.

Cross-cultural adaption of the Manniche questionnaire for German-speaking low back pain patients.

Objective: To develop and validate a cross-cultural version of the Manniche Low Back Pain Rating Scale (MRS) for use in German-speaking low back pain patients.

Background: Clinical intervention research in back pain would be enormously facilitated if a small number of relevant, patient-centred questionnaires became internationally used. MRS seems to be particularly suitable for cross-cultural adaptation due to its coverage of multidimensional back pain-specific health domains.

Beneficial effects of chronic low-frequency stimulation of thigh muscles in patients with advanced chronic heart failure.

Aims: Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) exhibit detrimental changes in skeletal muscle that contribute to their impaired physical performance. This study investigates the possibility of counteracting these changes by chronic low-frequency electrical stimulation (CLFS) of left and right thigh muscles.

Methods And Results: (mean+/-SD) 32 CHF patients (53+/-10 years) with an LVEF of 22+/-5%, NYHA II-IV, undergoing optimized drug therapy, were randomized in a CLFS group (CLFSG) or a control group (controls).

Exercise training improves vascular endothelial function in patients with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE-Impaired endothelial function of resistance and conduit arteries can be detected in patients with type 1 diabetes. We studied whether a persistent improvement of endothelial function can be achieved by regular physical training. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-The study included 26 patients with type 1 diabetes of 20 +/- 10 years' duration and no overt angiopathy; 18 patients (42 +/- 10 years old) participated in a bicycle exercise training program, and 8 patients with type 1 diabetes (33 +/- 11 years old) served as control subjects.