Topic category: Exercise Physiology

Topic category: Exercise Physiology European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 2007, 14 (suppl 1):S36–S46 007 Statins in intermittent claudication: a meta-analysis A.S. De Guzman, M.P. Luque St Luke’s Medical Center, Heart Institute Quezon City, Philippines Background Intermittent claudication is always been bothersome to patients with peripheral arterial disease. These patients suffer lower limb pain limiting their activity and independence. The benefit of statins among claudicants still remains unclear. The objective of this meta-analysis is to determine the efficacy of statin treatment among patients with intermittent claudication. Methods Clinical trials were identified from Medline search, PUBMED, and Cochrane collaboration databases 1999 to 2006. A total of 12 articles were queried, 8 of which are RCTs and were subjected to data extraction and quality scale. Independent quality assessment scale and the inclusion criteria were strictly applied. A total of 3 trials were included in the study. All included studies were randomized controlled trials involving a total of 380 PAD patients with intermittent claudication (Fontaine class II) and an Ankle-Brachial index of less than 0.90. Patients with previous surgery/angioplasty for PAOD, any condition that limits their ability to perform exercise test like previous MI patients/CABG within 6 months, unstable angina, neurologic disease, arthritis, uncontrolled hypertension, DVT before 3 months of randomization. Patients who had previously been treated with statins or other cholesterol lowering drugs were also excluded. Main Results The analysis of the mean walking distance showed a significant improvement from baseline as compared with the placebo at 95% CI (2.31, df – 1) P: < 0.00001. The analysis in terms of pain-free walking distance also showed a significant improvement in the pain-free walking distance from baseline as compared with the placebo at 95% CI (0.04, df – 2) P: < 0.00001. Conclusion Statins are beneficial among claudicant patients with significant improvement of mean walking distance and increase in pain-free walking distance with treatment duration of 6 to 12 months. 010 Attitude towards physical activity and body mass index in fourth class Dublin schoolchildren M. Guidon, F. Crehan, C. Crowley School of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland Objectives The objective was to assess the attitudes of fourth-class schoolchildren (9-11 years) to physical activity and to determine the relationship, if any, between attitudes and body mass index (BMI). An additional objective was to compare attitudes towards physical activity between boys and girls and between children in mixed and single sex schools. Methods Following ethical approval, the Grade 3 Children’s Attitude Toward Physical Activity Inventory (CAPTA) was administered to 124 schoolchildren in one single-sex boy’s school, one single–sex girl’s school and one mixed school. A survey of involvement in sport and physical activity reported that by the age of 10 years children’s attitudes were largely formed (Bird 2004). Therefore the CAPTA was administered to schoolchildren aged 9-11 years. The CAPTA divides attitude to physical activity into five subdomains: social growth – a chance to meet new people, social continuation – a good way to continue social relations and be with friends, health and fitness – to improve and maintain health and body condition, vertigo – thrill seeking and an opportunity to take risks aesthetic – importance of beauty in movement to the participants. Height and weight measurements were also recorded and BMI calculated. Results A total of 124 participants were included in the study. Girls had a significantly more positive attitude to physical activity in the social growth and aesthetic subdomains than male participants. Boys had a significantly more positive attitude than female participants in the vertigo subdomain. School type also influenced attitude to physical activity as girls in single sex education had a significantly more positive attitude in the social growth subdomain and boys in mixed gender schooling had a more positive attitude in the vertigo subdomain. No correlation was found between attitude to physical activity and BMI. Conclusions Attitude has been reported to be a determinant of physical activity behaviour (Kohl and Hobbs 1998). In this study the component of attitude with the most positive result was social continuation suggesting that the main motivation for physical activity in this age group may be to spend time with friends. Health promotion campaigns targeting physical activity in children should include a social continuation component. Girls were also shown to have a more positive attitude for the aesthetic component of physical activity. As females have been associated with high dropout rates from school physical education programmes, consideration should be given to the inclusion of an aesthetic component in the design of these programmes. 053 High transferability and reproducibility of objective and subjective parameters from exercise testing to training M. Wonisch, A.H. Petersen, U. Bauer, G. Köhler, S. Korsatko, A. Wutte3, T.R. Pieber3 Center of Cardiac Rehabilitation, St. Radegund, Austria Division of Cardiology, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Austria Diabetes and Metabolism, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Austria Objective For the prescription of exercise intensity the % of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)-method is highly recommended. Although VO2max can be estimated from formulas, the gold standard is to obtain VO2 directly during a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX). It is however, not clear if the corresponding heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (VE) and the ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) from the CPX are consistent with the values obtained when using the work load for training. In this study we compared the data from the CPX with the data from constant load exercise based on this CPX. Methods Twelve non-smoking, healthy male and female subjects (28.6 ± 4.9 years, BMI 23.2 ± 2.7 kg/m) performed a CPX with an initial work load of 20 Watt and 15 Watt increments every minute until exhaustion. HR, VE and RPE (Borg scale 6-20) were determined every minute. The work load corresponding to 50% of VO2max was used at 2 following study days where 30 minutes ergometer exercise was performed. Data for VO2max, HR, VE and work load (P) are given as mean ± SD, data for RPE are given as median (range). Tests are made as paired t-test for HR and for VE and Wilcoxońs Signed Rank test for RPE. Results Maximal values of the CPX were as follows: VO2max: 50.3 ± 9.3 ml/min/kg; Pmax: 251 ± 66 W; HRmax: 191 ± 9 beats/min; 1741-8267 c 2007 The European Society of Cardiology Copyright © European Society of Cardiology. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. VEmax: 105 ± 31 l/min. The corresponding workload of 50% VO2max was 111 ± 35 W which was 44 ± 4% of Pmax. Mean resp. median data from CPX and the two exercise days are shown in table 1. Data were reproducible with no significant differences between the two days. Mean HR (beats/min) of constant load exercise 1 and 2 were 125 ± 7 and 126 ± 8 after 10 min, 129 ± 9 and 127 ± 10 after 20 min, and 132 ± 10 and 129 ± 9 after 30 min, respectively. No differences were found for HR, VE and RPE, but there seemed to be a higher variation in subjective effort.