scholarly journals The Benefits of Physical Activity in Individuals with Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Longitudinal Investigation Using fNIRS and Dual-Task Walking

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 579
Author(s):  
Deborah Talamonti ◽  
Thomas Vincent ◽  
Sarah Fraser ◽  
Anil Nigam ◽  
Frédéric Lesage ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular fitness is linked to better executive functions, preserved gait speed, and efficient cortical activity. Older adults with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) typically show poor cognitive performance, low physical fitness, and altered brain functioning compared with healthy individuals. In the current study, the impact of regular physical activity on cognition, locomotion, and brain functions was explored in a cohort of older adults with low or high CVRFs. Cortical activation of the frontal areas was investigated using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) at baseline, at 6 months and at 12 months. Evoked cortical response and behavioral performance were assessed using the dual-task walking paradigm, consisting of three conditions: single cognitive task (2-back task), single walking task (walking), and dual-task (2-back whilst walking). Results show greater task-related cortical response at baseline in individuals with high CVRFs compared to those with low CVRFs. Moreover, participants with high CVRFs benefitted the most from participating in regular physical activity, as their cortical response decreased at the 12-month follow-up and became comparable to that of participants with low CVRFs. These changes were observed in conjunction with improved cognitive performance and stable gait speed throughout the 12-month period in both groups. Our findings provide evidence that participation in regular physical activity may be especially beneficial in individuals with CVRFs by promoting brain and cognitive health, thus potentially contributing to prevention of cognitive decline. Future research may explore whether such effects are maintained in the long-term in order to design ad-hoc interventions in this specific population.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S276-S277
Author(s):  
M T Arias-Loste ◽  
L Salcines ◽  
J C Rodriguez-Duque ◽  
M J García García ◽  
P Iruzubieta ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Regular physical activity (PA) has a potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that is mainly exerted on adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and the immune and cardiovascular systems. Thus, PA is known to be beneficial in different pro-inflammatory conditions. Nevertheless, data on the role of PA in IBD patients is scarce. The aim of our study is to analyse the association of PA with clinical outcomes in IBD patients. Methods Cross-sectional prospective study including all consecutive IBD patients attended at a university hospital was performed. Data on physical activity was recorded through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Metabolic Equivalent Task (MET) hours per week were calculated according to the combination of walking, moderate-intensity or vigorous intensity activity, and patients were categorized into low, moderate or high PA according to a previously validated method. Data on IBD phenotype, activity indexes, natural history, current and past treatments, together with liver evaluation, and history of cardiovascular risk factors were also collected. Results 831 patients were included in the study. Study flow chart is depicted in figure and clinical characteristics in table 1. IBD patients with a low or moderate PA showed a tendency to a higher proportion of IBD-related complications and higher scores in disease activity indexes than those with high PA. PA was strongly associated to the metabolic profile. Patients with a low/moderate PA were more frequently obese, hypertense, diabetic and had dyslipidaemia. Regarding liver disease, PA was significantly associated to the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but not with advanced liver fibrosis. Conclusion Insufficient PA can negatively impact clinical outcomes in IBD patients, probably not because of a direct effect on IBD-pathogenesis, but due to its strong association with cardiovascular risk factors and NAFLD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 638-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Chudowolska-Kiełkowska ◽  
Łukasz A Małek

Background Regular physical activity should constitute the essence of treatment in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. We sought to determine the benefits of nurse-led intervention to promote physical activity in sedentary older adults in a primary care setting. Methods A group of 199 sedentary older adults (mean age 62.7±6.9, 34.2% male) with at least one more cardiovascular risk factor were randomized 1:1 to receive a nurse-led tutorial on lifestyle modification, including pedometer hand-out – with a daily goal of at least 7000 steps – and supporting phone calls (study group), or without a goal or calls (control group). Body weight (BW), resting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), total cholesterol (TC) and glucose were assessed at baseline and after 3 months. Results Subjects in the study group ( n = 86) achieved higher daily step count in comparison to the control group ( n = 78), 10,648±3098 vs. 3589±2000, p < 0.0001. The study group presented an improvement in all analysed parameters but glucose, including BW (−2.5±1.9 kg), SBP and DBP (−7.9±7.6 mmHg and −6.2±6.5 mmHg) and TC (−14.7±30.4 mg%), all p < 0.0001. In the control group, all parameters increased or remained unchanged. An inverse correlation between the daily step count and delta of the analysed parameters ( r = −0.26 to −0.72, p < 0.001) was found. Conclusion Nurse-led intervention with pedometer, goal setting and supporting phone calls is an effective way to promote physical activity in sedentary older adults and leads to improvement of cardiovascular risk factors within 3 months.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie A Fini ◽  
Julie Bernhardt ◽  
Leonid Churilov ◽  
Rebecca Clark ◽  
Anne E Holland

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to explore associations between physical activity, cardiovascular risk factors, mobility, mood, fatigue and cognition over 2 years following stroke rehabilitation discharge. Methods In this longitudinal observational study, survivors of first-ever stroke were evaluated at rehabilitation discharge, 6, 12, and 24 months later. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) duration (minutes/day) assessed with an electronic monitor was the primary outcome. Further outcomes included step count, the number and duration of MVPA and sedentary bouts, cardiovascular risk factors (eg, blood pressure, fasting lipid profile, body mass index), gait speed and endurance, mood, fatigue, and cognition. Associations between physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors over time were assessed with random-effects regression modeling. Associations between baseline characteristics and physical activity at 2 years were explored using regression modeling. Results Seventy-nine participants (68.4% men) with a mean age of 65 years (SD = 14) and a median gait speed of 1.2 m/s (interquartile range = 0.8–1.4) were included at baseline. Associations were found between higher physical activity (MVPA duration, number and duration of MVPA bouts) and lower body mass index. Better gait speed, endurance, and cognition at baseline were associated with higher MVPA and step count at 2 years. Conclusions Duration and bouts of MVPA are associated with body mass index. Increasing MVPA and bouts of MVPA may be a valuable treatment goal to reduce cardiovascular risk in survivors of stroke. Impact This 2-year study found that moderate to vigorous physical activity is associated with important cardiovascular risk factors in people who have survived stroke. Understanding these associations could be useful for developing effective treatments to prevent recurrent stroke.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Esther Pereira de Oliveira ◽  
Thatiane Lopes Valentim Di Paschoale Ostolin ◽  
Wesley de Oliveira Vieira ◽  
Rodolfo Leite Arantes ◽  
Antônio Ricardo de Toledo Gagliardi ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Sedentary behavior (SB) has been described as an independent risk factor for health, regardless of the recommended amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, SB and MVPA as predictors of falls have been poorly investigated. Objective: To compare the associations between SB and MVPA and the occurrence of falls in middle-aged and older adults. Method: The participants wore a triaxial accelerometer over the dominant hip for seven days to measure SB and MVPA. The occurrence of falls and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed by self-report. Isokinetic peak torque (PT) of knee extension, peak oxygen uptake (V’O2) in a ramp treadmill protocol, and lean (LBM) body mass and body fat (BFM) (bioelectrical impedance) were also assessed. The critical roles of SB and MVPA on the occurrence of falls were compared by multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, LBM, peak V’O2, and PT of knee extension. Results: 379 participants were evaluated, aged 40-80 years. Forty-eight participants reported at least one fall in the previous 12 months (14.5%). Fallers presented lower SB and higher MVPA. They were predominantly women and older adults with lower physical fitness. After multivariate analysis, MVPA, but not SB, was selected as an independent predictor of falls, increasing the odds ratio of having a fall (1.184, 95% confidence interval, 1.016 - 1.378). Conclusion: Episodes of falls in predominantly middle-aged and women subjects were associated with a higher amount of MVPA, not the opposite, indicating an adverse effect of MVPA in these subjects.


2012 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Naghii ◽  
P. Darvishi ◽  
Y. Ebrahimpour ◽  
G. Ghanizadeh ◽  
M. Mofid ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 730
Author(s):  
Hanieh Mohammadi ◽  
Christine Gagnon ◽  
Thomas Vincent ◽  
Ali Kassab ◽  
Sarah Fraser ◽  
...  

Recent studies have shown that optical indices of cerebral pulsatility, including cerebral pulse amplitude, are linked to cerebrovascular health. A chronically higher cerebral pulsatility is associated with cognitive decline. Although it is widely known that regular physical activity improves cognitive functions, little is known about the association between physical activity and the optical index of cerebral pulsatility. This study assessed the impact of 12 months of regular physical activity on the changes in the optical index of cerebral pulsatility and explored its association with cognition. A total of 19 older adults (aged 59–79 years) with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) completed the study. Low-intensity, short-duration walking as a brief cardiovascular challenge was used to study the impact of regular physical activity on post-walking changes in cerebral pulsatility index. The participants walked on a gym track while a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device recorded hemodynamics data from the frontal and motor cortex subregions. Our data indicated that 12 months of physical activity was associated with lower global cerebral pulse amplitude, which was associated with higher cognitive scores in executive functions. Further, the global cerebral pulsatility index was reduced after short-duration walking, and this reduction was greater after 12 months of regular physical activity compared with the baseline. This may be an indication of improvement in cerebrovascular response to the cardiovascular challenge after regular physical activity. This study suggests that 12 months of physical activity may support cognitive functions through improving cerebral pulsatility in older adults with CVRF.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (01) ◽  
pp. 058-064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goya Wannamethee ◽  
A Gerald Shaper

SummaryThe relationship between haematocrit and cardiovascular risk factors, particularly blood pressure and blood lipids, has been examined in detail in a large prospective study of 7735 middle-aged men drawn from general practices in 24 British towns. The analyses are restricted to the 5494 men free of any evidence of ischaemic heart disease at screening.Smoking, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake and lung function (FEV1) were factors strongly associated with haematocrit levels independent of each other. Age showed a significant but small independent association with haematocrit. Non-manual workers had slightly higher haematocrit levels than manual workers; this difference increased considerably and became significant after adjustment for the other risk factors. Diabetics showed significantly lower levels of haematocrit than non-diabetics. In the univariate analysis, haematocrit was significantly associated with total serum protein (r = 0*18), cholesterol (r = 0.16), triglyceride (r = 0.15), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17) and heart rate (r = 0.14); all at p <0.0001. A weaker but significant association was seen with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.09, p <0.001). These relationships remained significant even after adjustment for age, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake, lung function, presence of diabetes, social class and for each of the other biological variables; the relationship with systolic blood pressure was considerably weakened. No association was seen with blood glucose and HDL-cholesterol. This study has shown significant associations between several lifestyle characteristics and the haematocrit and supports the findings of a significant relationship between the haematocrit and blood lipids and blood pressure. It emphasises the role of the haematocrit in assessing the risk of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in individuals, and the need to take haematocrit levels into account in determining the importance of other cardiovascular risk factors.


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