Type 2 diabetes mellitus negatively affects the functional performance of 6-min step test in chronic heart failure: a 3-year follow-up study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic heart failure (CHF) present a decrease in functional capacity due to the intrinsic nature of both pathologies. It is not known about the potential impact of T2DM on functional capacity when assessed by 6-min step test (6MST) and its effect as a prognostic marker for fatal and non-fatal events in patients with CHF.

Objective: to evaluate the coexistence of T2DM and CHF in functional capacity through 6MST when compared to CHF non-T2DM, as well as to investigate the different cardiovascular responses to 6MST and the risk of mortality, decompensation of CHF and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) over 36 months.

Discriminative value of pulse wave velocity for arterial stiffness and cardiac injury in prediabetic patients.

Background: Prediabetes (PD) is defined as impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and may be associated with high risk of cardiovascular injury. It is recommended that PD patients be screened for signs of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular injury to reinforce therapeutic strategies.

Objectives: To identify pulse wave velocity values discriminative for arterial stiffness and cardiovascular injury in PD patients.

Non-invasive ventilatory support accelerates the oxygen uptake and heart rate kinetics and improves muscle oxygenation dynamics in COPD-HF patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) associated with high-intensity exercise on heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (V̇O) recovery kinetics in in patients with coexistence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF).

Methods: This is a randomized, double blinded, sham-controlled study involving 14 HF-COPD patients, who underwent a lung function test and Doppler echocardiography. On two different days, patients performed incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and two constant-work rate tests (80% of CPET peak) receiving Sham or NIPPV (bilevel mode - Astral 150) in a random order until the limit of tolerance (Tlim).

Is the six-minute step test able to reflect the severity and symptoms based on cat score?

Background: This is the first study to investigate the performance of 6MST in COPD patients divided into different symptom severity groups based on the CAT questionnaire score.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between the degree symptomatology using the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) with the six- minute step test (6MST) in COPD patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 59 patients with COPD were evaluated.

Responses to incremental exercise and the impact of the coexistence of HF and COPD on exercise capacity: a follow-up study.

Our aim was to evaluate: (1) the prevalence of coexistence of heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the studied patients; (2) the impact of HF + COPD on exercise performance and contrasting exercise responses in patients with only a diagnosis of HF or COPD; and (3) the relationship between clinical characteristics and measures of cardiorespiratory fitness; (4) verify the occurrence of cardiopulmonary events in the follow-up period of up to 24 months years. The current study included 124 patients (HF: 46, COPD: 53 and HF + COPD: 25) that performed advanced pulmonary function tests, echocardiography, analysis of body composition by bioimpedance and symptom-limited incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer. Key CPET variables were calculated for all patients as previously described.

Eccentric Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Left and Right Cardiac Function in Chronic Heart Failure with or without Coexisting COPD: Impact on Exercise Performance.

Aim: Our aim was to assess: 1) the impact of the eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy (ELVH) on exercise performance in patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure (CHF) alone and in patients with co-existing CHF and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 2) the relationship between left and right cardiac function measurements obtained by doppler echocardiography, clinical characteristics and primary measures of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: The current study included 46 patients (CHF:23 and CHF+COPD:23) that performed advanced pulmonary function tests, echocardiography and symptom-limited, incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer.

Results: Patients with CHF+COPD demonstrated a lower work rate, peak oxygen uptake (VO), oxygen pulse, rate pressure product (RPP), circulatory power (CP) and ventilatory power (VP) compared to those only diagnosed with CHF.

Association Between the Predictors of Functional Capacity and Heart Rate Off-Kinetics in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: The heart rate (HR) kinetics as well as other predictors of functional capacity such as the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT), the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and the handgrip strength (HGS) represent important tools in assessing the impact of COPD on exercise performance and health status of individuals with COPD.

Purpose: To verify the relationship between functional capacity, measured using the six-minute walking test (6MWT), with the HR off-kinetics, HGS and the DASI and CAT scores.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 29 subjects with COPD underwent body composition, pulmonary function and cardiac function tests.

Left Ventricular Geometry in COPD Patients: ARE THERE ASSOCIATIONS WITH AIRFLOW LIMITATION, FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, AND GRIP STRENGTH?

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and abnormalities of left ventricular (LV) geometry often coexist. This study aimed to verify whether LV geometry is associated with airflow obstruction, functional capacity, and grip strength in COPD patients.

Methods: Thirty-seven COPD patients (GOLD II, III, and IV) were allocated to three groups according to LV geometry as assessed by transthoracic echocardiography: normal (n = 13), concentric LV remodeling (n = 8), and concentric LV hypertrophy (LVH) (n = 16).

Effect of high-intensity exercise on cerebral, respiratory and peripheral muscle oxygenation of HF and COPD-HF patients.

Objective: To investigate cerebral oxygenation (Cox) responses as well as respiratory (Res) and active peripheral muscle (Pm) O delivery during high-intensity cycling exercise and contrast responses between patients with coexistent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-heart failure (HF) and HF alone.

Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 11 COPD-HF and 11 HF patients. On two different days, patients performed maximal incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and constant load exercise on a cycle ergometer until the limit of tolerance (Tlim).

Validity, intra and inter-reliability of manual evaluation of the respiratory muscle strength in asthmatic patients.

Objective: This study investigated the concurrent validity, inter and intra-reliability of manual evaluation in Asthma patients.

Methods: Twenty six asthma patients were assessed. Maximal respiratory muscle strength (Mrms) was tested by inspiratory and expiratory pressure (MIP and MEP, respectively) trough manovacuometer.

Publisher Correction: The Value of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Determining Severity in Patients with both Systolic Heart Failure and COPD.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The Value of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Determining Severity in Patients with both Systolic Heart Failure and COPD.

Our aim was to identify optimal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) threshold values that distinguish disease severity progression in patients with co-existing systolic heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to evaluate the impact of the cut-off determined on the prognosis of hospitalizations. We evaluated 40 patients (30 men and 10 woman) with HF and COPD through pulmonary function testing, doppler echocardiography and maximal incremental CPET on a cycle ergometer. Several significant CPET threshold values were identified in detecting a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) < 1.

Molecular Modeling and Physicochemical Properties of Supramolecular Complexes of Limonene with α- and β-Cyclodextrins.

This study evaluated three different methods for the formation of an inclusion complex between alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin (α- and β-CD) and limonene (LIM) with the goal of improving the physicochemical properties of limonene. The study samples were prepared through physical mixing (PM), paste complexation (PC), and slurry complexation (SC) methods in the molar ratio of 1:1 (cyclodextrin:limonene). The complexes prepared were evaluated with thermogravimetry/derivate thermogravimetry, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, complexation efficiency through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses, molecular modeling, and nuclear magnetic resonance.