Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Vigor”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,099 records · Page 61Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Bromocriptine reduces cigarette smoking.

AIMS: Animal studies have shown that nicotine releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter implicated in drug reinforcement. We hypothesized that bromocriptine would decrease smoking behavior in humans. DESIGN: The study was conducted double blind and subjects' order of dose exposure was randomized. PARTICIPANTS: The smoking behavior of 20 heavy smokers was recorded for 5 hours after ingesting placebo or one of two doses of bromocriptine (2.50 mg, 3.75 mg) over three sessions (one dose per session). FINDINGS: There was a significant negative linear trend by dosage indicating shorter total puffing time with increasing bromocriptine dosages (p < 0.02). Other significant negative linear trends by increasing dosage include fewer number of puffs, fewer number of cigarettes smoked and mean latency to smoke after 3 hours (expected CMAX on the drug (all ps < 0.05). There was a negative significant linear trend showing decreased plasma nicotine (p < 0.02) and cotinine (p < 0.005) with increasing dosages of bromocriptine. Shiffman/Jarvik Withdrawal Scale (SJWS) cigarette craving subscale scores decreased significantly across increasing dosages (linear trend p < 0.02). There was a significant negative linear trend (p < 0.05) on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Vigor and Depression subscales, with subjects reporting decreased vigor and depression with increasing bromocriptine doses. No other mood effects were observed. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that dopaminergic mechanisms mediate cigarette smoking reinforcement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Massive immune haemolysis after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with minor ABO incompatibility.

Immune haemolysis as a result of minor ABO incompatibility is an underappreciated complication of haematopoietic transplantation. The increased lymphoid content of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplants may increase the incidence and severity of this event. We observed massive immune haemolysis in 3 out of 10 consecutive patients undergoing HLA-identical, related-donor PBSC transplants with minor ABO incompatibility. Non-ablative conditioning had been given in 9 of these 10 cases, including two with haemolysis. Cyclosporin alone was used as prophylaxis against graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD). Catastrophic haemolysis of 78% of the circulating red cell mass led to anoxic death in the first case seen, but severe consequences were avoided by early, vigorous donor-compatible red cell transfusions in the subsequent two cases. Haemolysis began 7-11 d after PBSC infusion and all patients with haemolysis had a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), with eluate reactivity against the relevant recipient antigen. However, neither the intensity of the DAT, the donor isohaemagglutinin titre, nor other factors could reliably be used to predict the occurrence of haemolysis. Our data indicate that haemolysis may be frequent and severe after transplantation of minor ABO-incompatible PBSCs when utilizing cyclosporin alone to prevent GVHD. Meticulous clinical monitoring and early, vigorous donor-compatible red cell transfusions should be practiced in all instances.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1996

Immunoregulation in onchocerciasis: predominance of Th1-type responsiveness to low molecular weight antigens of Onchocerca volvulus in exposed individuals without microfilaridermia and clinical disease.

Chronic and generalized onchocerciasis is associated with suppression of the parasite-specific cellular responsiveness, while exposed individuals without parasitological and clinical evidence of infection (endemic normals) display prominent cellular reactivity to Onchocerca volvulus antigens (OvAg). In order to identify those parasite antigens which may account for this differential cellular responsiveness, total adult worm-derived OvAg were fractionated by means of preparative SDS-PAGE and blot-elution into 22 antigen fractions of continuously decreasing molecular weight. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from microfilariae (mf)-positive onchocerciasis patients (n = 18) proliferated weakly in response to all OvAg fractions. In contrast, in vitro reactivity of PBMC from endemic normals (n = 9) was depressed in response to OvAg of mol. wt 200-30 kD only, while antigens of mol. wt < 30 kD induced vigorous proliferation in these individuals compared with the microfilaridermic patients (P < 0.05). Highest proliferative reactivity of cells from endemic normals was observed in response to OvAg of mol. wt 15-11 kD. Furthermore, these low mol. wt antigen fractions induced substantial production of IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in PBMC from endemic normals, but not in those from onchocerciasis patients. Cells from individuals of both groups secreted similar amounts of IL-5 in response to all OvAg fractions, with highest production again being induced by low mol. wt OvAg. In contrast, PBMC from onchocerciasis patients clearly produced more IL-10 than did cells from endemic normals. This augmented IL-10 production by PBMC from mf-positive individuals was not only observed after stimulation with OvAg fractions, but was measured in unstimulated control cultures as well. IFN-gamma-specific mRNA in antigen-stimulated PBMC from endemic normals appeared to be more prominent than in cells from onchocerciasis patients. However, mRNA transcripts of IL-10 and IL-13 were clearly present in patients, but were absent or inconsistently observed in endemic normals. Our results suggest that vigorous Th1-type cellular responsiveness encountered in endemic normals is restricted to low mol. wt antigens of O. volvulus, while such reactivity will not be present in mf-positive individuals. Furthermore, spontaneous production of high levels of IL-10 in onchocerciasis patients is likely to suppress Th1-type immunity, and thus may favour manifestation of chronic onchocerciasis. These traits of cellular immunity may contribute to the differential outcome of O. volvulus infection, the manifestation of clinical disease, and may also regulate the build up of acquired immunity in humans.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Changes in cardiac autonomic regulation after prolonged maximal exercise.

Harmful cardiac events occurs frequently after exercise. However, the cardiac autonomic regulation after vigorous exercise is not well known. This study was designed to assess heart rate (HR) variability before and after a 75 km cross-country skiing race. HR variability was assessed by using standard statistical measures along with spectral and quantitative Poincarè plot analysis of HR variability in 10 healthy male subjects (age 36 +/- 11 years). The average HR was at the same level 1 day after the race as before the race, but on the second day, HR was significantly lower (P<0.001) compared with the prerace and 1 day after values. The normalized high-frequency (HF) spectral component of HR variability (nuHF) was lower (P<0.01) on the first day after the maximal exercise compared with the pre-exercise values but returned to or even exceeded the prerace level on the second day (P<0.01). The changes in short-term R-R interval variability analysed from the Poincaré plot were similar to those observed in the HF spectral component. The normalized low-frequency (LF) spectral component of HR variability (nuLF) was higher (P<0.01) on the first day after the exercise compared with the prerace levels and it also returned to the pre-exercise level or even dropped below it on the second day after the race. The mean time it took the HF spectral component to return to the pre-exercise level was 4.2 +/- 4.2 h (ranging from 0 to 12 h). This recovery time correlated inversely with the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) measured during the bicycle exercise test before the skiing race (r=-0.712, P<0.016). The cardiac vagal outflow is blunted for several hours after prolonged vigorous exercise. The recovery time of reduced vagal outflow depends on individual cardiorespiratory fitness and there is an accentuated rebound of altered autonomic regulation on the second day after prolonged exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Cross-modal neuroplasticity in neonatally enucleated hamsters: structure, electrophysiology and behaviour.

Potential auditory compensation in neonatally bilaterally enucleated Syrian hamsters was explored anatomically, electrophysiologically and behaviourally. Gross morphology of the visual cortex appeared normal and no obvious cytoarchitectural malformation was discerned. However, enucleation induced a significant increase in the spontaneous firing rate of visual cortex cells. Further, auditory stimuli elicited field potentials and single unit responses in the visual cortex of enucleated, but not normal, animals. About 63% of the cells isolated in the visual cortex of 16 enucleated hamsters responded to at least one type of auditory stimulus. Most of the responses were less vigorous and less time-locked than those of auditory cortex cells, and thresholds were typically higher. Projection tracing with WGA-HRP disclosed reciprocal connections between the visual cortex and the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus in both intact and enucleated animals. However, in the enucleated animals retrogradely labelled cells were also found in the inferior colliculus, the major midbrain auditory nucleus. Behaviourally determined auditory sensitivity across the hearing range did not differ between enucleated and intact hamsters. Minimum audible angle, as determined by a conditioned suppression task, ranged from around 17 to 22 degrees, with no significant difference between normal and enucleated animals. The two groups also did not differ with regard to the direction of their unconditioned head orientating response to intermittent noise. However, the enucleated animals showed a more vigorous response and were slower to habituate to the noise. These results show that bilateral enucleation of newborn hamsters results in auditory activation of visual targets, in addition to the typical activation of the intact auditory pathway. Behaviourally it appears that enucleated hamsters, compared with their normal littermates, are slower to habituate in their response to an unexpected source of sound.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2002

Physical activity and its impact on health outcomes. Paper 1: The impact of physical activity on cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: an historical perspective.

The modern scientific study of physical activity began soon after World War II and focused on the epidemic of cardiovascular disease that was beginning to engulf the Western world. Early 'exercise prescriptions' then specified intense bouts of vigorous activity as the most effective way to maintain cardiovascular fitness and 'heart health'. Doctors and other health professionals then grew concerned that progressively fewer individuals were heeding this advice at a time when physical activity from manual work was becoming less common. Evidence was also emerging in the late 1980s that the value of accumulated, moderately intense activities, now of increasing importance during leisure time, may have been overlooked, or at least underplayed, in the prevention of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Perhaps in population terms adherence to moderate 'lifestyle' activities would be better than to the earlier vigorous recommendations. Social policy therefore shifted in the United States in 1996; the US Surgeon General's report set out the basic public health message of '30 min of moderate activity five, and preferably all, days of the week'. This recommendation was broadly adopted throughout much of the Western world. How this change in health strategy might impact on unhealthy weight gain and the growing obesity epidemic was given little attention. Here we examine how post-war public health policy in physical activity developed in an attempt primarily to prevent cardiovascular disease. In the following article we examine why too little attention may have been given to unhealthy weight gain and investigate how this may have happened. Then we consider how much physical activity--and of what kind--is needed to prevent unhealthy weight gain.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Tooth brushing-induced seizures: a case report.

We report a 28-year-old woman of normal intellect, who had three late-onset seizures with unusual ictal features and secondary generalization during prolonged and vigorous tooth brushing. Neurologic examination and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were normal, but interictal EEG showed left frontal epileptiform activity. Reasonable precautions (regular but briefer and less vigorous brushing of her teeth) combined with a moderate dose of carbamazepine effectively prevented seizure recurrence. This case may be an example of cryptogenic form of reflex epilepsy with seizures induced exclusively by tooth brushing.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Osteoprotective benefits of exercise: more pain, less gain?

Based on the results of their study, Hagberg et al. suggested that physical activity that is moderate in intensity might be most appropriate for the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. The take-home message is that being physically active has osteoprotective benefits. However, the implication that more vigorous exercise is less beneficial must be carefully scrutinized. When compared with the physically active nonathletes, the highly trained athletes in this study tended to be more years beyond menopause, had been on HRT for a smaller proportion of the postmenopausal period, and may have had lower endogenous estrogen levels as a result of having less fat mass. The chronic exposure of the skeleton to estrogens very likely played a more prominent role in determining BMD status in the women in this study than the investigators were able to ascertain, owing largely to the cross-sectional nature of the investigation. It is safe to conclude that an exercise prescription for the prevention of osteoporosis should include weight-bearing exercise, but the optimal intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise remain to be established. The results of the study by Hagberg et al. emphasize the importance of physical activity for sustaining BMD, but should not provide a basis for discouraging women from performing vigorous exercise.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative fitness of a wild squash species and three generations of hybrids between wild x virus-resistant transgenic squash.

We compared some fitness components of the wild squash species Cucurbita pepo spp. ovifera var. texana (C. texana) and three generations of hybrids (F1, BC1, and BC2) between C. texana and commercial transgenic squash CZW-3 over three consecutive years under field conditions of low (LDP) and high disease pressure (HDP) by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) and Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV). Transgenic squash CZW-3 expresses the coat protein (CP) genes of CMV, ZYMV, and WMV, and is resistant to these three aphid-borne viruses. Across all HDP trials, transgenic BC1 and BC2 hybrids expressing the three CP genes grew more vigorously, displayed resistance to CMV, ZYMV, and WMV, and produced a greater number of mature fruits and viable seeds than nontransgenic hybrid segregants and C. texana. Transgenic F1 hybrids behaved similarly to BC1 and BC2 hybrids but grew less vigorously than C. texana. In contrast, across all LDP trials, C. texana outperformed the transgenic and nontransgenic hybrid segregants. Further, only one back cross was necessary to recover individuals with most of the C. texana characteristics and yet maintain virus resistance. Our data suggest that C. texana acquiring CP transgenes upon hybridization and introgression could have a selective advantage if CMV, ZYMV, and WMV are severely limiting the growth and reproductibility of wild squash populations.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

The physical activity scale for individuals with physical disabilities: development and evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the construct validity of a new 13-item physical activity survey designed to assess physical activity in individuals with physical disabilities. DESIGN: Mail survey requesting information on physical activity, basic demographic characteristics, self-rated health, and self-rated physical activity. SETTING: In February 2000, surveys were sent to 1176 individuals who had used rehabilitative services at a major midwestern university between 1950 and 1999. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-seven men and 145 women with disabilities responded to the mail survey (80%, spinal cord or other locomotor injuries; 13%, visual and auditory injuries; 7%, other; 92%, white; mean age +/- standard deviation, 49.8 +/- 12.9y; mean length of disability, 36.9 +/- 14.9y). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physical activity was assessed with the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD). The PASIPD requests the number of days a week and hours daily (categories) of participation in recreational, household, and occupational activities over the past 7 days. Total scores were calculated as the average hours daily times a metabolic equivalent value and summed over items. RESULTS: Pearson correlations between each survey item and the total PASIPD score were all statistically significant (P < .05) and >or= .20 (range, .20- .67). Factor analysis with principal component extraction and varimax orthogonal rotations revealed 5 latent factors (eigenvalues >or= 1, factor loadings >or= .40): home repair and lawn and garden, housework, vigorous sport and recreation, light sport and recreation, and occupation and transportation. These 5 factors accounted for 63% of the total variance. Cronbach alpha coefficients ranged from.37 to.65, indicating low-to-moderate internal consistency within factors. Those who reported being "active/highly active" had higher total and subcategory scores compared with those "not active at all." Those in "excellent" health had higher total, vigorous sport and recreation, and occupation and transportation subcategory scores compared with those who rated their health "fair/poor" (all P < .05). CONCLUSION: These results provide preliminary support for the construct validity of the PASIPD. Additional validation studies using an external criterion and in more generalizable samples are warranted.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1996

Histopathologic features in esophagomyotomy specimens from patients with achalasia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A previous study evaluating the morphological features of esophagi resected for endstage achalasia showed marked depletion of myenteric ganglion cells, widespread destruction of nerves, and variable chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological features in esophagomyotomy specimens from 11 patients with early achalasia, defined as minimal to moderate esophageal dilation without sigmoid deformity. METHODS: The histological features of esophagomyotomy specimens from 11 patients with achalasia were analyzed and compared with the findings of control specimens obtained from 8 patients who underwent esophagectomy for intramucosal adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: Control specimens had normal numbers of ganglion cells (0.70-0.91 ganglion cells per high-power field) and minimal inflammation. Three patients with vigorous achalasia had normal ganglion cell numbers (0.79-0.91 ganglion cells per high-power field) and at least mild myenteric inflammation without neural fibrosis. The remaining 8 patients had few or no ganglion cells (0-0.30 ganglion cells per high-power field) and at least mild myenteric inflammation and neural fibrosis. Ganglionitis was found in 2 cases. Ganglion cell number was inversely correlated with degree of myenteric neural fibrosis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Vigorous achalasia has pathological features that are distinct from classic achalasia. The earliest pathological changes consist of myenteric inflammation with injury to and subsequent loss of ganglion cells and injury to and fibrosis of myenteric nerves.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

Association of physical activity with mortality in the US dialysis population.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the protective benefits of regular physical activity on mortality extend to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We tested this hypothesis in a national cohort of new patients with ESRD in the United States. METHODS: Data for a subset of patients (n = 2,507; 62%) from the Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Wave 2 study were used to explore the associations of exercise and limitations in physical activity with mortality. RESULTS: Overall, 56% of patients exercised less than once a week, whereas the remainder reported more frequent physical activity; 2 to 3 times/wk in 18%, 4 to 5 times/wk in 6%, and daily exercise in 20%. Severe limitations in vigorous and moderate physical activities were reported by 75% and 42%, respectively. Mortality risks were greatest for those with severe limitations in either moderate (relative risk [RR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44 to 2.05) or vigorous physical activities (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.90) compared with those reporting minimal or no limitations. Conversely, mortality risks were lower for patients who exercised 2 to 3 (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.95) or 4 to 5 times/wk (RR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.47 to 1.07), whereas no advantage was associated with daily exercise (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.30). CONCLUSION: Although limitations in physical activity are common among new patients with ESRD in the United States and correlate highly with increased mortality risk, this study shows an association of frequent exercise of up to 4 to 5 times/wk with improved survival. The surprising lack of association of daily exercise with increased survival deserves additional study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Differential CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responsiveness in hepatitis C virus infection.

This study was performed to compare the vigor and phenotype of virus-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses in patients with different virologic and clinical outcomes after hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The results show that a vigorous and multispecific CD4(+) proliferative T-cell response is maintained indefinitely after recovery from HCV infection whereas it is weak and focused in persistently infected patients. In contrast, the HCV-specific CD8(+) T-cell response was quantitatively low in both groups despite the use of sensitive direct ex vivo intracellular interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) staining. Furthermore, although HCV-specific cytolytic CD8(+) memory T cells were undetectable ex vivo, they were readily expanded from the peripheral blood of chronically HCV-infected patients but not from recovered subjects after in vitro stimulation, suggesting that ongoing viremia is required to maintain the HCV-specific memory CD8(+) T-cell response. HCV-specific CD8(+) T cells displayed a type 1 cytokine profile characterized by production of IFN-gamma despite persistent HCV viremia. The paradoxical observation that HCV-specific CD4(+) T cells survive and CD8(+) T cells are lost after viral clearance while the opposite occurs when HCV persists suggests the existence of differential requirements for the maintenance of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell memory during HCV infection. Furthermore, the relative rarity of circulating CD8(+) effector T cells in chronically infected patients may explain the chronic insidious nature of the liver inflammation and also why they fail to eliminate the virus.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Vaccine development for hepatitis C.

Given the global disease burden and public health impact of hepatitis C, the development of an effective vaccine is of paramount importance. However, many challenging obstacles loom ahead of this goal. The hepatitis C virus (HCV), being an RNA virus, can mutate rapidly in adaptation to the environment, thus contributing to the high sequence divergence of multiple viral isolates in the world. The highest heterogeneity has been found in the hypervariable region of the envelope glycoprotein 2, which contains a principal neutralization epitope. HCV also causes persistent infection in a high percentage of immunocompetent hosts despite active immune response. The lack of an efficient tissue culture system for propagating HCV and testing neutralizing antibodies adds further complexity to the task of vaccine development. The immunologic correlates associated with disease progression or protection are yet to be defined, but recent studies suggest that a vigorous multispecific cellular immune response is important in the resolution of infection. Induction of high-titer, long-lasting, and cross-reactive antienvelope antibodies and a vigorous multispecific cellular immune response that includes both helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes may be necessary for an effective vaccine. Several promising approaches have been used to develop an HCV vaccine. Novel vaccine candidates based on molecular technology such as recombinant proteins, peptides, viruslike particles, naked DNA, and recombinant viruses are being explored. The final vaccine product may require multiple components that target various aspects of protective immunity. Finally, sterilizing immunity may not be necessary if a vaccine can be developed to prevent chronic infection, which is the major cause of morbidity and mortality from this disease.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMed2002

Effects of RRR-alpha-tocopherol on leukocyte expression of HSP72 in response to exhaustive treadmill exercise.

Previous research revealed an increased expression of HSP72 in leukocytes after vigorous endurance exercise. We questioned whether more intensive but shorter exercise also induces leukocyte HSP72 synthesis. To delineate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in exercise-related HSP72 induction, we additionally examined the effect of RRR-alpha-tocopherol (alpha-toc) on HSP72 expression using a double-blind placebo (P) controlled cross-over design. After supplementation with alpha-toc (500 I.U. daily) or P for 8 days, 9 male subjects performed a combined exhaustive treadmill protocol (total duration 29.4 +/- 2.0 min). HSP72 was assessed on mRNA (RT-PCR) and protein levels (flow cytometry). HSP72 mRNA rose 3 h after exercise only in the P group, but individual differences (alpha-toc - P) did not reveal significant treatment effects. A moderate but significant rise of HSP72 protein occurred in granulocytes up to 48 h after exercise. Three hours post-exercise, granulocyte HSP72 protein was lower when subjects received alpha-toc, but this effect vanished 24 and 48 h post-exercise. Exhaustive treadmill exercise augments HSP72 mRNA in leukocytes and induced a moderate but prolonged response of granulocyte HSP72 protein. These exercise effects are lower when compared to earlier findings obtained after vigorous endurance exercise. ROS seem to be involved, but do not play the major role in the induction of granulocyte HSP72 synthesis after exhaustive exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Iodine uptake and loss-can frequent strenuous exercise induce iodine deficiency?

Most of the daily dietary iodine intake (approximately 90 %) will be excreted in the urine; measurement of urinary iodine excretion is thus routinely used as an index of dietary iodine intake. However, urinary excretion is not the only means of iodine loss. Subjects such as athletes or those participating in vigorous exercise can lose a considerable amount of iodine in sweat, depending on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. In areas of lower to moderate dietary iodine intake, loss in sweat can equal that in urine. Although electrolyte loss in sweat is well-recognized and replacement strategies are adopted, there is less recognition of potential iodine loss. Crude calculations reveal that if sweat iodide losses are not replaced, dietary stores could be depleted in an athlete undergoing a regular training regime. The significance of these losses could be increased in areas where dietary iodine intake is lower in the summer months. Although there is little doubt that excessive sweating can induce a relative iodine deficiency state, there is no case as yet for iodine supplementation in those that take vigorous exercise. However, sustained iodine loss may have implications for thyroid status and possibly consequences for athletic performance.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Bronchospasm during cardiopulmonary bypass--a potentially fatal complication of open-heart surgery.

Severe bronchospasm at the termination of cardiopulmonary bypass is an unusual but dangerous complication of open-heart surgery. We report two cases. In both of them the final etiology remained unsettled. In one of the cases vigorous and immediate bronchodilatory therapy resulted in a favourable remission. In the second case bronchospasm contributed to a very harmful bulging of the left lung through the opened mediastinal pleura, stretching and damaging the left internal mammary artery graft, which obviously contributed to the fatal outcome. We emphasize especially the following points: 1) a carefully evaluated medical history of patients scheduled for open-heart surgery may reveal some details pointing to an increased risk of bronchospasm during cardiopulmonary bypass; in such cases prophylactic measures may be indicated; 2) immediate vigorous bronchodilatory therapy early at the onset of bronchospasm during the weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass may reverse the alarming situation.

Bronchial Spasm↗
PubMed1998

Levels of physical activity, physical fitness and their relationship in the Northern Ireland Health and Activity Survey.

The aim of the study was to describe the physical activity and physical fitness profile of the population of Northern Ireland and to explore the relationship between physical activity and physical fitness. This was a cross sectional population study using a two stage probability sample of the adult population of Northern Ireland (aged 16+). The main outcome measures were physical activity profile based on computer assisted interview. Physical fitness using estimation of VO2max by extrapolation from submaximal oxygen uptake while walking on a motor driven treadmill. We found that males were more vigorously active than females (M 21%:F 6%) with a steep gradient of decreasing activity with age: 49% (M 52%:F 46%) were regularly active up to at least moderate intensity. Males (mean predicted VO2max 44.4 mls/kg/min; 16-74 years) were fitter than females (mean predicted VO2max 34.0 mls/kg/min; 16-74 years) and while there was a decline in predicted VO2max with age, there was wide variation within each age category. There was no statistically significant relationship between current or past activity and fitness after adjustment for possible confounding factors, with the exception of a relationship between fitness and activity in males so that the difference between no activity and habitual vigorous activity in predicted VO2max was 4.4mls/kg/min (10.1%).

Adolescent↗