Relationship among muscle strength, muscle endurance, and skeletal muscle oxygenation dynamics during ramp incremental cycle exercise.

Peak oxygen uptake (VO), evaluated as exercise tolerance, is a strong predictor of life prognosis regardless of health condition. Several previous studies have reported that peak VO is higher in those with a greater decrease in muscle oxygen saturation (SmO) in the active muscles during incremental exercise. However, the skeletal muscle characteristics of individuals exhibiting a greater decrease in SmO during active muscle engagement in incremental exercise remain unclear.

Hospital-acquired disability in older heart failure patients decreases independence and increases difficulties in activities of daily living.

Aims: The aim of this study was to clarify whether worsening of independence in activities of daily living (ADL) and also difficulties in ADL are triggered by hospitalization in older patients with heart failure (HF) and whether difficulties in ADL can predict readmission for HF regardless of independence in ADL in these patients.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 241 HF patients in the present multi-institutional, prospective, observational study. The patients were divided according to age into the non-older patient group (<75 years, n = 137) and the older patient group (≥75 years, n = 104).

Relevant factors of leg strength at hospital discharge in patients hospitalized due to acute decompensated heart failure: multi-institutional prospective observational study.

Background: Lower leg strength at hospital discharge is strongly associated with poor prognosis in older patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Improving leg strength is important in acute-phase cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Aims: This study aimed to clarify whether a change in leg strength occurs during hospitalization of older ADHF patients receiving CR and whether it affects leg strength at discharge.

New Formula to Predict Heart Rate at Anaerobic Threshold That Considers the Effects of β-Blockers in Patients With Myocardial Infarction: MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Purpose: It is recommended that patients with myocardial infarction (MI) be prescribed exercise by target heart rate (HR) at the anaerobic threshold (AT) via cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX). Although percent HR reserve using predicted HRmax (%HRRpred) is used to prescribe exercise if CPX or an exercise test cannot be performed, %HRRpred is especially difficult to use when patients take β-blockers. We devised a new formula to predict HR at AT (HRAT) that considers β-blocker effects in MI patients and validated its accuracy.

Effects of αβ-Blocker Versus β1-Blocker Treatment on Heart Rate Response During Incremental Cardiopulmonary Exercise in Japanese Male Patients with Subacute Myocardial Infarction.

A simplified substitute for heart rate (HR) at the anaerobic threshold (AT), i.e., resting HR plus 30 beats per minute or a percentage of predicted maximum HR, is used as a way to determine exercise intensity without cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) data.

Effect of carvedilol on heart rate response to cardiopulmonary exercise up to the anaerobic threshold in patients with subacute myocardial infarction.

Resting heart rate (HR) plus 20 or 30 beats per minute (bpm), i.e., a simplified substitute for HR at the anaerobic threshold (AT), is used as a tool for exercise prescription without cardiopulmonary exercise testing data.

Soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 is a novel predictor of brain natriuretic peptide elevation.

Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) is an endogenous inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor, which is involved in cardiovascular remodeling and atherosclerosis development. To examine the predictive role of sFlt-1 levels in patients with asymptomatic heart failure, we measured circulating sFlt-1 in patients with or without coronary artery disease (CAD). We analyzed 88 Japanese patients with CAD or patients at high risk for atherosclerosis and who were undergoing total risk management for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Circulating interleukin-18: A specific biomarker for atherosclerosis-prone patients with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increased risk of the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Interleukin-18 (IL-18), which is a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine with important regulatory functions in the innate immune response system, plays a crucial role in vascular pathologies. IL-18 is also a predictor of cardiovascular death in patients with CVD and is involved in atherosclerotic plaque destabilization.