The Help for Hay Fever community pharmacy-based pilot randomised controlled trial for intermittent allergic rhinitis

Nitrate-rich food can increase nitric oxide production and improve vascular and brain functions. This study examines the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the effects of prolonged consumption of different doses of dietary nitrate (NO3-) in the form of beetroot juice (BJ) in overweight and obese older participants. A single-blind, four-arm parallel pilot RCT was conducted in 62 overweight and obese (30.4 ± 4 kg/m2) older participants (mean ± standard deviation (SD), 66 ± 4 years). Participants were randomized to: (1) high-NO3- (HN: 2 × 70 mL BJ/day) (2) medium-NO3- (MN: 70 mL BJ/day), (3) low-NO3- (LN: 70 mL BJ on alternate days) or (4) Placebo (PL: 70 mL of NO3--depleted BJ on alternate days), for 13 weeks. Compliance was checked by a daily log of consumed BJ, NO3- intake, and by measuring NO3- and NO2- concentrations in plasma, saliva, and urine samples. Fifty participants completed the study. Self-reported compliance to the interventions was >90%. There were significant positive linear relationships between NO3- dose and the increase in plasma and urinary NO3- concentration (R2 = 0.71, P < 0.001 and R2 = 0.46 P < 0.001, respectively), but relationships between NO3- dose and changes in salivary NO3- and NO2- were non-linear (R2 = 0.35, P = 0.002 and R2 = 0.23, P = 0.007, respectively). The results confirm the feasibility of prolonged BJ supplementation in older overweight and obese adults.

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A Short Mindfulness Retreat for Students to Reduce Stress and Promote Self-Compassion: Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Exploring Both an Indoor and a Natural Outdoor Retreat Setting

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9070910 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 910

Author(s):

Dorthe Djernis ◽

Mia S. O’Toole ◽

Lone O. Fjorback ◽

Helle Svenningsen ◽

Mimi Y. Mehlsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Control Group ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Randomised Controlled

Here, we developed and examined a new way of disseminating mindfulness in nature to people without meditation experience, based on the finding that mindfulness conducted in natural settings may have added benefits. We evaluated a 5-day residential programme aiming to reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes. We compared an indoor and an outdoor version of the programme to a control group in a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). Sixty Danish university students experiencing moderate to high levels of stress were randomised into a residential mindfulness programme indoors (n = 20), in nature (n = 22), or a control group (n = 18). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale (primary outcomes) along with additional secondary outcome measures at the start and end of the program and 3 months after. Stress was decreased with small to medium effect sizes post-intervention, although not statistically significant. Self-compassion increased post-intervention, but effect sizes were small and not significant. At follow-up, changes in stress were not significant, however self-compassion increased for both interventions with medium-sized effects. For the intervention groups, medium- to large-sized positive effects on trait mindfulness after a behavioural task were found post-intervention, and small- to medium-sized effects in self-reported mindfulness were seen at follow-up. Connectedness to Nature was the only outcome measure with an incremental effect in nature, exceeding the control with a medium-sized effect at follow-up. All participants in the nature arm completed the intervention, and so did 97% of the participants in all three arms. Overall, the results encourage the conduct of a larger-scale RCT, but only after adjusting some elements of the programme to better fit and take advantage of the potential benefits of the natural environment.

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