Publications by authors named "McGregor G"

Introduction: The WALKSTRONG trial includes a programme of community walking and home-based circuit training which has been developed for people with intermittent claudication (IC). The aim of the present study was to determine the acceptability of the programme for those who took part, by gleaning their opinions and experiences.

Methods: All participants eligible for the WALKSTRONG trial were approached regarding completing a semi-structured interview, selected from three groups: A) programme completers, B) programme withdrawers and C) programme decliners.

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Background: Perianesthetic death or sedation death in companion animals is an infrequent but devastating complication. Few studies have investigated the pathology associated with these deaths.

Objective: To determine clinical features and postmortem findings for submissions to multiple Canadian diagnostic laboratories from perianesthetic/sedation deaths in dogs and cats.

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Compound lipids comprise a diverse group of metabolites present in living systems, and metabolic- and environmentally-driven structural distinctions across this family are increasingly linked to biological function. However, methods for deconvoluting these often isobaric lipid species are lacking or require specialized instrumentation. Notably, acyl-chain diversity within cells may be influenced by nutritional states, metabolic dysregulation, or genetic alterations.

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Background: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people continue to experience ongoing physical and mental health sequelae after recovery from acute infection. There is currently no specific treatment for the diverse symptoms associated with post-COVID-19 condition. Physical and mental health rehabilitation may help improve quality of life in such patients.

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Background And Aims: Arterial function (specifically arterial stiffness) is an important cardiovascular risk factor. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Al ) are established indicators of arterial function. The present study aimed to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of PWV and Al in healthy individuals.

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Lipids represent the most diverse pool of metabolites found in cells, facilitating compartmentation, signaling, and other functions. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism is linked to disease states such as cancer and neurodegeneration. However, limited tools are available for quantifying metabolic fluxes across the lipidome.

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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic in 2019. It remains uncertain to what extent COVID-19 effects the heart in heathy individuals. To evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 on cardiac structure and function in middle-aged and older individuals.

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Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with significant morbidity/mortality. AF-ablation is an increasingly used treatment. Currently, first-time AF-ablation success is 40-80% at 1-year, depending on individual factors.

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Background: The SPHERe (Supervised Pulmonary Hypertension Exercise Rehabilitation) trial is a multi-centre, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of supervised exercise rehabilitation with psychosocial and motivational support compared to best-practice usual care for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH). The original protocol was published in BMC Pulmonary Medicine (accessible online). We randomised our first participant in January 2020.

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Article Synopsis
  • The bacterium was identified using pure culture and analysis techniques, revealing it shares similarities with a type strain previously isolated from a sow.*
  • The genome of this isolate is significant for its size and virulence-related genes, emphasizing its potential pathogenicity and serving as a reference for future research on similar organisms.*
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  • * The manuscript details CEP-UK's four-year journey toward gaining formal recognition and implementing regulation for clinical exercise physiologists, including consultation for registration and accreditation procedures.
  • * It outlines major milestones, the creation of a university curriculum framework, and future goals for the profession, providing clarity on the training and registration processes for aspiring clinical exercise physiologists in the UK.
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Compound lipids comprise a diverse group of metabolites present in living systems, and metabolic- and environmentally-driven structural distinctions across this family is increasingly linked to biological function. However, methods for deconvoluting these often isobaric lipid species are lacking or require specialized instrumentation. Notably, acyl-chain diversity within cells may be influenced by nutritional states, metabolic dysregulation, or genetic alterations.

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Background: Supervised exercise training is recommended for people with peripheral artery disease (PAD), yet it remains underutilized. Home-based exercise programs (HBEPs) are a potential alternative. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting a full scale trial of a 12-week HBEP for people living with symptomatic PAD.

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Objective: To compare the characteristics of responders and nonresponders to 8 weeks of exercise training to determine differences in key cardiovascular disease outcomes in people with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Design: Secondary analysis of data from the HIIT or MISS UK trial.

Setting: Six outpatient National Health Service cardiac rehabilitation (CR) centers in the UK.

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  • Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is crucial for evaluating heart and lung function, and inflections in oxygen pulse (O2Pulse) could indicate heart issues.
  • A study assessed how reliable and consistent different methods (subjective observation vs. an objective algorithm) are for identifying these O2Pulse inflections, finding almost perfect agreement between the algorithm and examiners.
  • The study concluded that both methods are reliable, but highlighted a systematic bias in novice examiners, suggesting that using a more objective algorithm may lead to better consistency and patient outcomes.
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  • The study examines how well the Fitbit Charge 4© measures step counts compared to a research-grade ActiGraph monitor.
  • While the Fitbit showed good reliability for step counts on a treadmill, it overestimated steps by about 26% when used in everyday life.
  • This discrepancy suggests that relying solely on the Fitbit for tracking physical activity could mislead individuals about their actual compliance with exercise guidelines.
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Introduction: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can reduce cardiovascular mortality and improve health-related quality of life. In the United Kingdom, patient uptake of CR remains low (52%), falling well short of the target in the 2019 National Health Service long-term plan (85%). Mobile health (mHealth) technologies, offering biometric data to patients and healthcare professionals, may bridge the gap between supervised exercise and physical activity advice, enabling patients to engage in regular long-term physically active lifestyles.

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Objective: To evaluate whether a structured online supervised group physical and mental health rehabilitation programme can improve health related quality of life compared with usual care in adults with post-covid-19 condition (long covid).

Design: Pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group, superiority randomised controlled trial.

Setting: England and Wales, with home based interventions delivered remotely online from a single trial hub.

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Article Synopsis
  • A new high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program for patients with intermittent claudication (IC) was found to be feasible and beneficial, prompting researchers to gather patient feedback for further development.
  • Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who either completed the program, declined participation, or discontinued early; the analysis revealed three main themes: personal reflections, barriers and facilitators, and perceived benefits of the program.
  • Participants who completed the HIIT program reported positive experiences and health improvements, highlighting the need for program adjustments to address logistical and motivational challenges, which supports the idea of conducting further research through a larger randomized controlled trial.
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Background: Up to half of people hospitalised with COVID-19 report diverse and persistent symptoms affecting quality of life for months and sometimes years after discharge (long-COVID). We describe the development of an online group exercise and behavioural support intervention for people who continue to experience such physical and/or emotional health problems more than three months after hospital discharge.

Methods: Intervention development was informed by the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions.

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Objective: To perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) compared with moderate intensity steady-state (MISS) training in people with coronary artery disease (CAD) attending cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Design: Secondary cost-effectiveness analysis of a prospective, assessor-blind, parallel group, multi-center RCT.

Setting: Six outpatient National Health Service cardiac rehabilitation centers in England and Wales, UK.

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Background: There is a dearth of research to support the treatment of people with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). Despite expert consensus suggesting exercise is recommended for this patient group, there are no randomised control trials examining this rigorously. The aim was to co-create a feasibility trial protocol and a rehabilitation intervention for people living with PoTS.

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Background: People with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are not routinely referred for exercise rehabilitation despite the potential for reducing breathlessness and improving quality of life. We describe the development of a supervised pulmonary hypertension exercise rehabilitation (SPHERe) programme for people with PH.

Methods: Development was completed in three phases: (1) systematic review, (2) stakeholder engagement with consensus from patients and experts and (3) prepilot intervention acceptability testing.

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Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in American mink () is a global priority because outbreaks on mink farms have potential consequences for animal and public health. Surveillance programs often focus on screening natural mortalities; however, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding sampling and testing approaches. Using 76 mink from 3 naturally infected farms in British Columbia, Canada, we compared the performance of 2 reverse-transcription real-time PCR (RT-rtPCR) targets (the envelope [] and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase [] genes) as well as serology.

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